A Bloomfield man has pleaded guilty in federal court to drug and firearm offenses, according to an announcement from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division.
Brandon C. Tyson, 29, entered his plea in Hartford federal court. Court documents and statements indicate that Tyson has prior state felony convictions for drug and assault offenses. Federal law prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition that have crossed state or national borders.
An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that Tyson unlawfully possessed a Glock 20, 9mm pistol in May 2021. The investigation also found that between May 2023 and March 2024, Tyson conspired to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. He was arrested on state charges on March 27, 2024, after authorities searched his residence and found about 1.7 kilograms of cocaine along with $16,700 in cash.
Tyson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of fentanyl. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of forty years. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which could result in up to ten years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 29.
Tyson has remained detained since his federal arrest on September 19, 2024.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard as well as Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
This prosecution is part of several Justice Department initiatives focused on violent crime reduction and organized crime disruption: the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF); and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
