Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAQUILLE PEARSON, 25, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal firearm conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 23, 2017, Pearson was sentenced in federal court to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  He was released from federal prison in May 2018.

On March 21, 2019, after leading New Haven police officers on a foot chase, Pearson was found in possession of a loaded Taurus PT25, .25 caliber handgun.

In addition to his prior federal conviction, Pearson’s criminal history includes state convictions for burglary and for carrying a dangerous weapon.

Pearson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on September 9, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for unlawfully possessing a firearm, and additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release from his 2017 federal conviction.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.

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 make neighborhoods safer for everyone.