Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Ammunition Offense

BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2023 to unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm while a convicted felon. 

Ahmed Sullay, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni who scheduled sentencing for May 17, 2023. Sullay was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2021. 

On the evening of Nov. 18, 2020, a local officer on patrol observed a driver – later identified as Sullay – travelling in the wrong direction of a one-way road in Worcester. When the officer activated his emergency lights, Sullay reversed his vehicle at high speed and crashed into a traffic sign before fleeing on foot wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The officer followed in pursuit before eventually losing sight of Sullay when he ran onto a nearby street. Soon after, Sullay was seen wearing only his underwear as he ran from a darkened alley in the vicinity towards a nearby parking lot. There, Sullay stole a black SUV and sped away without headlights before colliding with another vehicle at an intersection. Sullay was immediately taken into custody. 

Sullay discarded a loaded Jimenez Arms, Model J.A. Nine, 9mm firearm while fleeing after his initial crash. Sullay is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior convictions. 

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ 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.