A federal jury in Bridgeport has convicted Morris Carter III, also known as “Mo,” 36, of Hartford, on firearm offenses. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that in the early morning hours of February 19, 2023, Carter became involved in an altercation at a convenience store located in Hartford’s south end. Surveillance video captured Carter possessing a firearm and striking another patron with a firearm magazine. During the incident, ammunition was ejected from the magazine.
After leaving the store, Carter drove toward Wethersfield and threw two handguns out of his car window. Police stopped his vehicle on Nott Street and found a loaded magazine under the passenger seat. Later that morning, Wethersfield police responded to a resident’s call after she found one of the discarded firearms at her driveway. Officers recovered both firearms along with a magazine and ammunition nearby. Ammunition from the convenience store was also retrieved by investigators.
Carter has a prior federal conviction from 2013 for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of felony offenses from possessing firearms or ammunition that have traveled through interstate or foreign commerce.
The jury found Carter guilty on two counts: unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon—which carries up to 15 years in prison—and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number—which carries up to five years imprisonment.
At the time of this offense, Carter was on federal supervised release and now faces further penalties for violating those conditions. He has been detained since February 19, 2023.
The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Hartford Police Department, and Wethersfield Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which coordinates efforts between law enforcement agencies and communities to address gun violence and other violent crime (https://www.justice.gov/psn).
“This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hartford Police Department, and the Wethersfield Police Department,” said Sullivan’s office in its statement.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
