Tythrone Ford, Attempted Interference with Commerce by Robbery, Connecticut 2015

In a shocking turn of events, Tythrone Ford, 27, of New Haven, Connecticut, pleaded guilty to attempted interference with commerce by robbery, a crime that led to the shooting of a restaurant employee in 2015.

According to court documents, Ford and two other men entered the Smokin’ Wings restaurant on Congress Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on April 11, 2015, and demanded money at gunpoint. One of Ford’s associates subsequently discharged a firearm and shot a female employee in the stomach. The group then fled the restaurant.

Responding New Haven Police officers subsequently located a .22 caliber revolver in a nearby trash can. Forensic analysis of the revolver revealed that it was used in both the attempted robbery at Smokin’ Wings and a previous attempted robbery at Sapiaos Market in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the owner, Jose Salgado, was shot and killed in 2015.

Ford was arrested on December 10, 2019, and has been detained since then. He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer scheduled sentencing for December 14, 2021.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Markle, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program aimed at reducing violent crime, while Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Both programs focus on addressing the root causes of crime and providing support to those who want to turn their lives around.

The attempted robbery and subsequent shooting at Smokin’ Wings restaurant was a senseless act of violence that left a community shaken. Ford’s guilty plea brings some measure of justice to the victim and their family, and serves as a reminder that those who commit violent crimes will be held accountable for their actions.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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