HARTFORD, CT – Traevaunnn Morrison, 27, of Hartford, is headed to federal prison for 30 months after admitting to peddling fentanyl and crack cocaine while armed with a privately-made firearm, known as a “ghost gun.” U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the sentence today, adding four years of supervised release to the prison term.
The bust went down April 5, 2022, when DEA’s Hartford Task Force executed a controlled buy in Bristol. Morrison allegedly delivered fentanyl and crack to an undercover operative. Investigators then tailed Morrison to a condominium parking lot, where he was taken into custody. A search of his vehicle yielded additional quantities of both drugs, along with a Polymer80 handgun – a “ghost gun” – loaded with a 21-round extended magazine.
The weapon, investigators later determined, wasn’t just a scare tactic. Ballistics evidence linked the firearm to two separate shooting incidents in 2021, one in Waterbury and another in Hartford, leaving two individuals injured. While investigators haven’t tied Morrison directly to those shootings, the discovery adds another layer of danger to the case.
Morrison wasn’t a stranger to the system. Court records reveal a history of prior felony drug convictions, making the possession of a firearm – one that crossed state lines in its component parts – a clear violation of federal law. The feds have zero tolerance for convicted felons packing heat, and Morrison learned that lesson the hard way.
He’d been held without bail since his arrest and ultimately pleaded guilty August 2, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine and fentanyl. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr. prosecuted the case, bringing together resources from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and multiple local police departments including Bristol, Hartford, and others.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force – a multi-agency collaboration – continues to target drug trafficking and illegal firearms, working to stem the flow of both onto the streets of Connecticut. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who deal poison and brandish unregistered weapons will face the full force of federal law.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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