Rohan A. James-Dennie, Gun and Drug Offenses, Connecticut 2023

A 22-year-old West Haven man has been charged with federal gun and drug offenses in connection with two separate incidents in 2015 and 2016.

According to a federal complaint, Rohan A. James-Dennie, Jr., was operating a vehicle erratically in Essex on November 1, 2015, when a Connecticut State Trooper stopped him. A search of the vehicle revealed a .380 caliber handgun with a hollow point bullet in the magazine, approximately one-half kilogram of marijuana, and more than $3,400 in cash. The firearm had been reported stolen during a residential burglary in 2013.

The complaint further alleges that on January 12, 2016, West Haven Police stopped a vehicle that James-Dennie was operating. A search of the vehicle and James-Dennie’s person revealed a .22 caliber handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition, more than 200 grams of marijuana, and nearly $5,000 in cash. The firearm’s serial number was partially obliterated.

James-Dennie was arrested on state charges in both instances and was released on bond. He was arrested today in East Haven and is detained pending his initial appearance in federal court on Monday.

The complaint charges James-Dennie with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, possession of a stolen firearm, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, Connecticut State Police, West Haven Police Department, and East Haven Police Department. U.S. Attorney Daly thanked the assistance and cooperation of the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial District of Middlesex and the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Lee Dayton.

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