Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Possessing Stolen Gun and Silencer

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO VASQUEZ, 53, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a stolen gun and silencer.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2013, VASQUEZ offered an 18-year-old woman who had just left an abusive relationship to move in with him. After a few weeks, VASQUEZ became physically and sexually abusive toward the woman. The victim subsequently left VASQUEZ without taking her belongings. VASQUEZ then lured her back into his apartment. Once inside, VASQUEZ barricaded the door and closed the windows. He then choked and punched the victim, placed a sock in her mouth and raped her while holding a gun and silencer to her head.

On March 5, 2014, the victim reported the abuse to a Connecticut probation officer and stated that VASQUEZ kept a gun in a hutch in the dining room of the apartment, and a silencer in a closet. Later that day, a Bridgeport Police officer retrieved a loaded .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol from the hutch in VASQUEZ’s apartment. On March 17, 2014, a search of the apartment revealed a .22 caliber silencer. VASQUEZ was arrested at that time.

Both the pistol and silencer had been reported stolen.

Forensic analysis of VASQUEZ’s cellphone revealed a recording of the rape and other recordings that confirmed VASQUEZ’s abuse of the victim.

VASQUEZ has been detained since his arrest. On May 3, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm and one count of possession of a stolen silencer.

VASQUEZ pleaded guilty in state court to unlawful restraint.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bridgeport Police Department and Connecticut Office of Adult Probation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.