Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY MORALES, 30, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 19, 2019, Waterbury Police received a report that Morales had been involved in a domestic dispute and was in possession of a firearm.  Investigators subsequently encountered Morales at a hotel Waterbury.  A search of Morales’ room revealed a Taurus, Model 85, .38 caliber revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition, and an additional 13 rounds of loose ammunition.

Morales’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery, larceny, assault and narcotics 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 Dooley scheduled sentencing for December 12, 2019, at which time Morales faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Morales has been detained since his federal arrest on May 13, 2019.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.

This prosecution has been brought though 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.

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