Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHNATHEN LOPEZ, 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to 23 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 27, 2017, members of the Waterbury Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit arrested Lopez after he was found in possession of a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun.

Lopez’s criminal history includes felony drug and weapon 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.

Lopez has been detained since his federal arrest on July 2, 2018. On March 9, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

This matter was investigated by the Waterbury Police Department’s Gang Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Patrick Caruso.

This prosecution has been brought through 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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