Fitchburg Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

BOSTON – A Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in Worcester federal court for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Satron Pridgen, 46,  pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 22, 2024. In November 2023, Pridgen was indicted by a federal grand jury.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2023, Pridgen was outside of Mill City Pub in Fitchburg. An altercation ensued between two men. During the altercation, Pridgen approached a third man from behind, grabbed him and held him around the neck in a chokehold, then pulled out a loaded pistol which he used to beat the man in the head multiple times. When law enforcement intervened, Pridgen ran off and attempted to discard the firearm by a dumpster before being apprehended.  

Pridgen is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to numerous prior convictions out of Worcester Superior Court including: a November 1999 conviction of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for which he was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in state prison; an October 2011 conviction of armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a career criminal for which he was sentenced to 10-12 years in state prison; and an October 2011 conviction of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in state prison.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.   

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.