Department of Justice

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHANNON WICKER, also known as “Bishop,” 34, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in association with his drug trafficking activity.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 16, 2019, law enforcement in New Haven conducted a court-authorized search of a Chapel Street apartment and found a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol; quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and other items.  Wicker, who was present during the search, was arrested on related state charges at that time.

Wicker’s criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions, including convictions for weapon in a motor vehicle, sale of illegal hallucinogens or narcotics, sale of a controlled substance, possession of narcotics, tampering with evidence, and failure to appear.

Wicker has been detained since his federal arrest on November 6, 2019.  On January 15, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

This matter was investigated by the New Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan.

This prosecution 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 make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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