Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

BOSTON — A Fitchburg man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Satron Pridgen, 45, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will appear in federal court in Worcester on Nov. 6 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy.

According to the charging documents, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, Pridgen was in an altercation outside of Mill City Pub in Fitchburg. It is alleged that, during the altercation, Pridgen pulled out a loaded pistol which he used to beat another man in the head multiple times. When law enforcement intervened, Pridgen allegedly ran off and attempted to discard the firearm by a dumpster before being apprehended.

Pridgen is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to numerous prior convictions out of Worcester Superior Court including: a November 1999 conviction of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for which he was sentenced to nine to 10 years in state prison; an October 2011 conviction of armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a career criminal for which he was sentenced to 12 years in state prison; and an October 2011 conviction of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of cocaine, for which he was sentenced to nine to 10 years in state prison.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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