Hartford Man Charged with Robbery and Firearm Offenses

 John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on November 30, 2017, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a six-count indictment charging ISAIAH HALLIDAY, 18, of Hartford, with robbery and firearm offenses stemming from a scheme that victimized several individuals who sought to purchase items over mobile classifieds web apps.

HALLIDAY has been detained since his arrest on November 17.  He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, and was ordered detained.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between September and November 2017, more than a dozen robberies have occurred in Hartford during which individuals lured would-be customers with real or nonexistent items posted to mobile classifieds web apps, such as Offer Up, Letgo and Craigslist, through the use of a fake account.  Upon arrival, the customers were robbed of money and cell phones.  In all of the robberies, assailants brandished what victims described to be a firearm.

It is alleged that on November 11, 2017, Hartford Police officers responded to a location on Blue Hills Avenue in response to a report of a male suffering from a gunshot wound.  Upon arrival, the victim stated that he had traveled to Mansfield Street in Hartford to meet with an individual he contacted on Offer Up to purchase an iPhone.  When he arrived, an individual, who was subsequently identified as HALLIDAY, approached the front passenger door of his vehicle and pointed a black handgun at him.  After the victim attempted to drive away, HALLIDAY fired one round at him, striking him in the right forearm.

 The indictment charges HALLIDAY with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, for robberies that occurred on September 19 and October 16; one count of attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, for the robbery that occurred on November 11 describe above; one count of attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery for another attempted robbery on November 11, and one count of attempt to interfere with commerce by robbery on November 17.

Each of the robbery offenses carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and the firearm offenses carries a consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.