George Rivera, of Danbury, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 29, to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon on Saturday, March 25, the US Attorney's Office said.
According to the announcement, on April 2, 2018, police tried to pull over a car that was driving with unlit taillights.
The car fled, and during a pursuit with police, officers saw items being thrown from the car's windows, Roberts Avery said.
Authorities arrested Luis Mercado and Dominick Gonzalez and recovered two loaded handguns and marijuana that had been thrown from the car, the US Attorney's Office said.
Roberts Avery said police found the following items in the car:
- A black ski mask
- A pair of binoculars
- A container of gasoline
Investigators found that Mercado, Gonzalez, Rivera, Jason Scott, and Luis Mejias were involved in a plan to murder one person and set fire to the Wood Avenue Body Shop in Bridgeport, where the individual worked, according to the announcement.
Rivera, Scott, and Mejias were arrested later that day at a Milford hotel, the US Attorney's Office said.
The US Attorney's Office said a search of a hotel room also revealed:
- A loaded Smith and Wesson model M&P 15-22 caliber rifle
- A loaded Taurus “Judge” revolver
- A loaded Anderson Manufacturing AR 15 multi-caliber rifle
- A loaded 12-gauge shotgun
- Additional ammunition
- Brass knuckles
- Binoculars
- Gloves
- A knit mask
- A seized packaged heroin
- Ecstasy pills
- Marijuana
- A digital scale
Mercado, Gonzalez, Mejias, and Scott also pleaded guilty, and Mercado, Mejias, and Scott were sentenced to 10 years in prison, the US Attorney's Office said.
Gonzalez is waiting to be sentenced, according to the announcement.
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