Hartford Man Who Possessed Loaded Ghost Gun Sentenced to Prison
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CAMRON HILL, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a federal firearm offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Hartford Police Department conducted an investigation of a business located at 136 Barbour Street in Hartford that was suspected of trafficking narcotics. The business, a purported clothing store, had an awning that read “The HOLE Ex-Con 360 the movement.” In October 2022, investigators made two controlled drug purchases of marijuana from the store.
On October 5, 2022, Hill and others were in the store when investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the store and seized quantities of suspected crack cocaine, psychedelic mushrooms, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, synthetic opioid films, fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, MDMA, drug packaging and processing materials, U.S. currency, and five handguns. One of the handguns seized was a loaded 9mm privately made firearm (“PMF” or “ghost gun”) that was found behind the counter of the store in a black satchel-type bag. Surveillance video the morning of the search showed Hill using keys to open the store and carrying a black satchel-type bag. Subsequent forensic testing of the firearm revealed Hill’s DNA.
Hill has a prior felony conviction. 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.
On April 18, 2023, Hill pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a felon.
Hill, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on October 17.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and Brendan J. Keefe.
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