Seymour Man Who Assaulted Girlfriend Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAURICE EARLEY, 50, of Seymour, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2013, EARLEY was arrested by Connecticut State Police after he physically assaulted his girlfriend.  EARLEY punched the victim in the face while they were traveling on I-95 in Bridgeport, then pulled over, dragged her from the car, choked her and punched her several more times.  The victim was able to escape and was treated at the hospital for a fractured nose, a fractured collar bone and other injuries.

A subsequent search EARLEY’s residence revealed a loaded 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number, and 93 rounds of 9mm ammunition, including hollow-point bullets.

EARLEY’s criminal history includes felony convictions for drug trafficking and robbery offenses.  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. 

“It is our priority to prosecute all defendants who are prohibited from possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Daly.  “We are particularly concerned about guns in the hands of predators who commit acts of domestic violence preying on an especially vulnerable population.  This defendant not only possessed a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number, but also 90 rounds of ammunition.  Domestic violence affects women and children across all socio-economic, cultural and racial lines.  According to a 2011 Center for Disease Control survey, one in four women experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner.  Each year, this country witnesses more than a million acts of domestic violence that result in hundreds of deaths.”

On February 19, 2015, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging EARLEY with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He has been detained since March 2, 2015.  On December 14, 2015, EARLEY pleaded guilty to the charge in the indictment.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Connecticut State Police and Seymour Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alina P. Reynolds.