Manuel A. Gomez, 31, of Hartford, was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 28, by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to the prison term which will be followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 17, 2019, Gomez was involved in a one-car motor vehicle accident in East Hartford, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said.
As East Hartford Police responded to the accident, Gomez ran from the scene. He was apprehended after a short foot chase. A subsequent search of Gomez’s vehicle revealed a loaded AM-15 .223 caliber rifle.
In 2008, Gomez was convicted in state court of two counts of assault in the first degree, on which he was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after seven years.
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.
Gomez has been detained since his arrest. On June 16, he pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Click here to follow Daily Voice New Haven and receive free news updates.