Enfield Man with Multiple Felony Convictions Admits Illegally Possessing Gun in Hartford

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NATHANIEL RODRIGUEZ, 24, of Enfield, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on January 27, 2019, Hartford Police received reports of a fight outside of the Vanish Bar and Grille Club on Meadow Street in Hartford.  After responding to the scene, a detective saw Rodriguez arguing with several individuals in an SUV, and then produce a handgun.  Hartford Police officers secured Rodriguez and recovered a loaded M&P Bodyguard .380 caliber handgun that he dropped on the ground.

The gun had been reported stolen in Massachusetts in 2017.

Rodriguez’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Massachusetts for firearms, assault, drug, and witness intimidation offenses.

Rodriguez has been detained since March 29, 2019, when he was arrested in Enfield in an unrelated case.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for April 22, 2020, at which time Rodriguez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.

This prosecution has been brought through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.