Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the United States Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TEVIN GONZALEZ, 25, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2021, Gonzalez was involved in shooting and fire-bombing incidents in and around Springfield, Massachusetts.  Gonzalez was arrested at a hotel in Enfield, Connecticut, on September 3, 2021.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed two semiautomatic pistols.

Gonzalez’s criminal history includes convictions in Massachusetts for felony drug, firearm and resisting arrest offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Judge Merriam scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2022, at which time Gonzalez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Gonzalez has been detained since his arrest.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Massachusetts State Police, Enfield Police Department and Springfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.