Meriden Man Charged with Illegal Gun Possession

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford returned an indictment today charging TRAYQUAN FORD, 20, of Meriden, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

As alleged in the complaint that was previously filed in this case, the ATF and Meriden Police Department have been investigating gang-related violence in Meriden between the “Mack Balla Brim Bloods,” which is affiliated with the national “Bloods” gang, and members and associates of the “Crips.”

It is alleged that on July 18, 2016, FORD possessed a Taurus, model PT738 TCP, .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol that contained a magazine loaded with six rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber.

Prior to that date, it is alleged that FORD had sustained a felony conviction for 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.

If convicted of the offense, FORD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He has been detained since his arrest on July 18.

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

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