Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, 27, of New Haven, with unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

Weinstein was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with the offense on November 18, 2020, and the indictment was returned on December 1. He is currently released on a $100,000 bond. As alleged in court documents, in October 2020, law enforcement observed Facebook video posts of Weinstein firing a handgun at a Connecticut shooting range, and possessing ammunition.

The indictment alleges that, on October 14, 2020, Weinstein possessed .40 caliber ammunition manufactured by Speer. Prior to that date, Weinstein was convicted in state court of criminal possession of a gun, conspiracy to commit robbery in the third degree, and robbery in the first degree.

It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

If convicted of the charge, Weinstein faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor M. Reardon.

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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