NEW HAVEN, CT – Shavarius Smith, 22, of New Haven, is headed to federal prison for more than five years after being caught with a loaded ‘ghost gun’ and a cache of narcotics in a stolen vehicle. U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton handed down the 70-month sentence today, followed by three years of supervised release.
The bust went down late on October 8, 2021, when New Haven Police discovered the 9-millimeter privately made firearm – equipped with a high-capacity 31-round magazine – alongside distribution amounts of heroin and crack cocaine inside the stolen car Smith was driving. Smith, identified as a member of the Bloods gang, was already walking a tightrope with the law, having just been released from state incarceration on September 2, 2021, and subject to probation with a GPS ankle monitor.
Court documents reveal Smith’s rap sheet isn’t exactly clean. He’s previously been convicted of state felony offenses including larceny and multiple drug crimes. Federal law clearly prohibits anyone with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition that has crossed state lines – a fact Smith apparently ignored. He’s been held without bail since his arrest.
Smith pleaded guilty on June 24, 2022, to the charge of possession of ammunition by a felon. While the sentence doesn’t address the drug charges directly, the combined offenses paint a picture of a repeat offender actively engaged in criminal activity despite being under supervision. The investigation was a joint effort between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department.
Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, secured the conviction under the umbrella of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Longevity initiatives. PSN aims to reduce violent crime by focusing on the most dangerous offenders and supporting community-based prevention programs. Project Longevity specifically targets gun violence in Connecticut cities, attempting to engage with at-risk individuals and offer alternatives to a life of crime.
Despite these programs, Smith’s case demonstrates the ongoing struggle to curb gun violence and hold repeat offenders accountable. The 70-month sentence sends a message, but whether it’s enough to break the cycle of crime in New Haven remains to be seen. The ATF Boston Field Division handled the federal investigation.
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