At 81, Robert V. Gentile thought he could still play the outlaw. Instead, he’s headed to federal prison for 54 months after being caught red-handed in a series of illegal firearm dealings and violating the terms of his supervised release. The Manchester man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford, who ordered the lengthy stretch behind bars followed by three years of supervised release — the first six months of which Gentile must serve in home confinement.
The crimes trace back over a decade. On February 10, 2012, federal investigators moved in on Gentile after uncovering his role in the illegal distribution of prescription narcotics. A court-authorized search of his Manchester residence turned up 200 Percocet tablets packaged for sale, a small arsenal of firearms — including two .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolvers, a .22 caliber derringer, a 12-gauge pistol-grip shotgun — along with five handgun silencers, ammo, and $22,000 in cash. Gentile copped to federal drug and firearm charges and, by May 9, 2013, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and placed on three years of supervised release.
But Gentile didn’t stay clean. On March 2, 2015, while still under federal supervision, he sold a loaded .38 Colt Cobra revolver — five rounds of Smith & Wesson .38 Special ammo inside — to a man he knew was a convicted felon. The deal went down at Gentile’s home, the gun pulled from a couch cushion like a scene from a mob flick. He collected $1,000 for the deadly transaction.
Federal agents arrested Gentile on April 17, 2015, and he’s been locked up ever since. A grand jury indicted him on April 28, 2015, on charges of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and selling a firearm to a felon. Then, on May 2, 2016, FBI agents raided his Manchester home again — this time on an unrelated warrant — and found more illegal firepower: a .22 caliber Browning semi-automatic pistol, a 9mm Walther, a .380 caliber RPB Industries M11-Al, and an unregistered silencer.
Another indictment followed on May 24, 2016, charging Gentile with possession of firearms as a convicted felon and possession of an unregistered silencer. On April 6, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possessing ammunition, one count of possessing firearms, and one count of possessing an unregistered silencer — all as a previously convicted felon. He also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release.
Judge Chatigny showed no leniency. He slapped Gentile with 42 months for the firearm offenses and tacked on a consecutive 12 months for the parole violation — totaling 54 months behind bars. The case was investigated by the FBI with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. For Gentile, the price of playing gunrunner in his 80s is steep — and finally paid in full.
Related Federal Cases
- Rohan James-Dennie Jr. Gets 3 Years for Gun, Drug Crimes · Connecticut
- Juan Quinones Gets 37 Months for Gun, Drug Bust in Stamford · Connecticut
- Stamford’s Charles Barnes Gets 63 Months for Gun Possession · Connecticut
- Alvin ‘Nardy’ Crawford Gets 42 Months for Illegal Gun Possession · Connecticut
- Bridgeport Felon Staton Gets 3+ Years for Gun Possession · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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