New Haven Man Who Possessed Ghost Gun Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Niquelle Landelius, 27, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and narcotics offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2022, New Haven Police arrested Landelius after a court-authorized search of his Chatham Street residence revealed a loaded privately made 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which had no serial number or manufacturer information (“ghost gun”), and distribution quantities of crack cocaine and heroin.
Landelius’ criminal history includes state convictions for felony narcotics offenses. 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.
Investigators subsequently submitted to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) test-fired shell casings from the seized handgun. Analysis of the shell casings revealed that it matched shell casings that were recovered at two shooting incidents that occurred in New Haven on February 13, 2022.
Landelius has been detained since his arrest. On March 8, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
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 works 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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