New Haven Man Charged with Possessing Loaded Gun While Released on Bond in another Federal Case
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging ANTRUM COSTON, 41, of New Haven, with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and with committing the offense while released on bond in another case.
On September 18, 2023, Coston was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for pandemic relief fraud, money laundering, and drug offenses. Judge Underhill ordered Coston, who was released on bond, to surrender for service of his sentence on November 29, 2023.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on October 25, 2023, New Haven Police arrested Coston after they found him in possession of a loaded Taurus G3 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, and various controlled substances.
It is alleged that Coston’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including two federal convictions for firearm offenses.
The indictment was returned on March 6, 2023. Coston, who has been detained since his state arrest, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.
If convicted, Coston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for possessing the firearm while on federal release.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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