CONTACT:  Tom Carson, Public Information Office, (203) 821-3722, (203) 996-1393 (cell)

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEITH JOHNSON, age 40, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Ellen B. Burns in New Haven to 262 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction for possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On July 9, 2004 JOHNSON was convicted by a federal jury sitting in New Haven.

Evidence during the trial established that on October 15, 2002, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Hartford police were flagged down by a citizen in the area of Judson and Barbour Streets. The citizen reported that a masked gunman had robbed four individuals who had been outdoors. The robber fled down Judson Street and into a waiting car on Martin Street. Police immediately followed the car. The car pulled over, and JOHNSON was one of three individuals present. JOHNSON was wearing clothes that matched the description of the robber that was phoned into the 911 operator, and also matched the description provided by the victims. When JOHNSON was removed from the car, police found a gun under the seat. The gun matched the description of the gun used in the robbery.

Prior to his arrest on October 15, 2002, JOHNSON had been convicted of three felony offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Noting JOHNSON's criminal history, Judge Burns determined that JOHNSON qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which, under federal law, allows for a 15-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of as much as life imprisonment.

"This severe sentence should send a message to all felons who even think about possessing a gun," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "The Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative is working in Hartford, as this investigation and prosecution would not have been possible without the excellent cooperation between federal and local law enforcement."

The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and officers of the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Anastasia Enos.