BRIDGEPORT – Police arrested a Monroe man on weapons charges after they said he was intending to sell two AR-15 rifles, a handgun and a .308 sniper rifle to a drug dealer.
Robert Nolan, 30, of Monroe, was charged with five counts of illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, five counts of illegal possession of a firearm, two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit, five counts of attempted illegal sale of a firearm, five counts of attempted firearms trafficking, two counts of possession of an assault weapon, two counts of transportation of a loaded assault weapon in a motor vehicle and six counts of possession of an illegal high-capacity magazine.
Police seized a loaded .40-caliber handgun and two magazines, two AR-15-style assault weapons and a .308 sniper rifle loaded with tracer rounds.
Police said they observed Nolan acting suspiciously, and after pulling him over for a traffic violation, they searched the vehicle and found the weapons.
Nolan told police that the guns belonged to him. He said the guns had been purchased in Vermont, where gun laws are less strict, over the past few years.
“Mr. Nolan said he came to Bridgeport to meet a friend, who was going to hook him up with a drug dealer who was willing to pay him between $5,000 and $10,000 for the weapons,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. in a statement. “He also indicated that he was addicted to heroin.”
Police said often people without criminal records purchase weapons and sell them on the street for profit or trade them for drugs.
