Hartford Man Who Threatened Tow Truck Operator Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS QUINTANA, 28, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 29, 2018, Quintana pointed a firearm at a tow truck operator who had started the process of towing Quintana’s car, which had been improperly parked in a private lot on Garden Street in Hartford.  After the tow truck operator removed the car from the tow hitch and Quintana walked away, the victim’s partner called police.  Officers responded to the scene, apprehended Quintana who was nearby, and retrieved a loaded Ruger P95 9mm millimeter handgun that Quintana had discarded as police arrived.

Quintana’s criminal history includes felony convictions for possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and carrying a pistol without a permit.

It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Quintana is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on January 8, 2020, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Clark and Michael 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.