Dashawn Dwyer, 31, of Hartford, pleaded guilty on Mar. 9 before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address gun violence and illegal firearms possession among individuals with prior felony convictions.
Court documents and statements made in court show that on November 11, 2024, Hartford Police officers attempted to stop Dwyer as he drove on Albany Avenue. Dwyer was being sought after absconding from state parole. He accelerated his vehicle, drove recklessly through side streets, then abandoned the moving car and fled on foot. Officers apprehended him nearby and found a loaded 9mm Glock pistol with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device (“switch”) in his vehicle, along with distribution quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine and $10,257 in cash.
Dwyer’s criminal record includes state felony convictions for robbery, assault, and narcotics offenses. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of felony offenses from possessing firearms that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 3; Dwyer faces up to 15 years in prison and has been detained since his arrest. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Sean P. Mahard are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative utilizing Department of Justice resources “to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”