United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Project Safe Neighborhoods: HARTFORD FELON SENTENCED TO SIX YEARS FOR ILLEGAL GUN POSSESSION, VIOLATING SUPERVISED RELEASE

Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE GONZALEZ, also known as “Jo Jo,” 32, of Monroe Street, Hartford, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing a firearm, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a previous federal conviction. On November 20, 2009, GONZALEZ pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 10, 2009, members of the Hartford Police Department executed a search warrant at GONZALEZ’s 51 Monroe Street residence and seized a Kimber .45 caliber pistol and several rounds of ammunition.  Police also seized a photograph of GONZALEZ with members of Los Solidos. GONZALEZ claimed that he possessed the firearm for protection.

On August 27, 1997, GONZALEZ was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 135 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering.  The conviction stemmed from GONZALEZ’s murder of 16-year-old George Hall in a gang-ordered drive-by shooting on November 25, 1993.  While GONZALEZ, who at the time was a 16-year-old soldier in Los Solidos, was targeting members of the rival Latin Kings gang, one of his shots struck and killed Hall, who was not affiliated with any gang.

After completing his sentence, GONZALEZ was released from prison in October 2005.

On April 24, 2007, Judge Dorsey found that GONZALEZ had violated five conditions of his supervised release – including a condition that GONZALEZ not associate with any persons engaged in criminal activity, or any persons associated with the Los Solidos organization – and sentenced GONZALEZ to an additional 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

GONZALEZ was on federal supervised release when he illegally possessed the firearm on September 10, 2009.

Today, Judge Dorsey sentenced GONZALEZ to 60 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing the firearm, and a consecutive 12-month sentence for violating his supervised release.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, and improving the safety of residents of Connecticut’s cities. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov