Waterbury Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Handgun

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAEKWON OVERSTREET, 24, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2019, while he was on state parole following a conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree, Overstreet attended a Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) call-in meeting in Waterbury.  PSN call-in meetings, which in Waterbury are run by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Waterbury Police Department, are held monthly for individuals who are recently released from prison.  Speakers from a variety of social service providers and educational institutions offer assistance to the attendees in the form of jobs, mental health treatment, anger management and educational opportunities.  Members of law enforcement also present a firm message that gun possession is unacceptable in light of its direct connection to gun violence, which exacts a heavy toll on the residents of Connecticut’s cities.

On February 19, 2019, as part of a special parole compliance check, law enforcement officials searched Overstreet and found that he had in his possession a loaded Springfield 9mm firearm.  The gun was stolen in Waterbury in 2005.

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.

Overstreet has been detained since his arrest on February 19, 2019.  On September 30, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. 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.