Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARQUES MILTON, also known as “Biz,” 36, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2018, Bridgeport police officers arrested Milton in connection with a gunpoint threatening incident that occurred in February 2018.  At the time of his arrest, Milton possessed a fully loaded Beretta 9mm pistol, an additional 18 rounds of ammunition, and a quantity of marijuana.

Prior to March 2018, Milton was convicted in state court of robbery in the first degree and unlawful restraint in the first degree.  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.

State forensic examiners have connected the Beretta 9mm pistol to shell casings recovered after a shooting incident on Linwood Avenue in Bridgeport on February 19, 2018.  On that date, one of approximately 10 shots that were fired grazed a cable company employee who was working on a nearby utility pole.  Milton has been charged in state court in connection with this incident, and also in connection with alleged shooting incidents on April 25, 2018, in Bridgeport, and on June 2, 2018, in Waterbury, both of which caused serious injuries to victims.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of the Bridgeport Police Department, Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.