David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced the sentencing of Jose Antonio Molina-Montalvo, 36, from Waterbury. U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven sentenced Molina-Montalvo to 58 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.
Court documents and statements reveal that on October 15, 2024, Molina-Montalvo sold a Harrington & Richardson 1871 INC. Handi Rifle and 39 rounds of ammunition for $300. His criminal history includes state felony convictions for assault, possession with intent to sell narcotics, strangulation, harassment, burglary, and larceny. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Molina-Montalvo has been detained since his arrest on unrelated state charges on October 21, 2024. He pleaded guilty in federal court on March 28, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont prosecuted the case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing gun violence and other violent crime to make neighborhoods safer.
