Felon Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Multiple Firearm and Drug Offenses

Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CEDRIC GOODWIN, also known as “Ceddyo,” 32, last residing in West Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and drug offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of September 22, 2019, Goodwin attempted to enter a bar located on Crown Street in downtown New Haven.  During a pat-down search of Goodwin by a security worker, a firearm magazine fell from Goodwin’s right ankle area.  Goodwin retrieved the magazine and left the establishment.  The security worker notified nearby New Haven Police officers who subsequently located Goodwin.  As they approached Goodwin, the officers heard the sound of an object hitting the ground.  Goodwin was detained, and a search of the area revealed a firearm magazine containing eight rounds of .380 caliber ammunition.  Goodwin was arrested on state charges at that time.

Goodwin’s criminal history includes felony convictions for narcotics, weapon, robbery and assault offenses.  On March 10, 2020, Goodwin was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.  Following his arrest, he was released on a $100,000 bond and other conditions, including that he reside at the home of a third-party custodian on Sanford Street in West Haven.  Law enforcement subsequently received information that Goodwin was engaged in narcotics trafficking activity and was in possession of a firearm.

On May 14, 2020, Goodwin was arrested after investigators conducted a court-authorized search of his residence and, in the garage, found a Smith and Wesson revolver, several rounds of assorted ammunition, multiple baggies of suspected heroin, a quantity of marijuana, and items used to process and package drugs for street sale.

Goodwin has been detained since his arrest.  On July 14, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, and commission of an offense while on federal pretrial release.

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.