A federal jury in Bridgeport has found Morris Carter III, also known as “Mo,” 36, of Hartford, guilty of firearm offenses. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that on February 19, 2023, Carter was involved in a fight at a convenience store in Hartford’s south end. Surveillance video showed Carter with a firearm and striking another person in the head with a firearm magazine, causing ammunition to eject during the incident. After leaving the store, Carter drove toward Wethersfield and threw two handguns out of his car window.
Wethersfield Police later stopped Carter’s vehicle on Nott Street and discovered a loaded magazine under the passenger seat. That morning, police responded to a call from a resident who found one of the discarded guns at her driveway. Officers located both firearms, along with a magazine and ammunition nearby. Investigators also recovered additional ammunition from the convenience store.
Carter has a prior federal conviction from 2013 for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of felonies from possessing firearms or ammunition that have crossed state or international lines.
The jury convicted Carter of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which can result in up to 15 years in prison, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, carrying up to five years’ imprisonment.
At the time of these offenses, Carter was on federal supervised release and may face further penalties for violating its conditions. He has been detained since February 19, 2023.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Hartford Police Department, and Wethersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard are prosecuting the case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce gun violence by bringing together law enforcement agencies and communities (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
“Project Safe Neighborhoods brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” according to information provided by prosecutors.
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