BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A New Britain man was sentenced to two years in prison in Bridgeport federal court on Tuesday for a gun offense, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Brian McManus, 55, will have his sentence followed by two years of supervised release.
Court documents and statements made in court, as part of an investigation into privately made firearms – PFMs or “ghost guns” – in Connecticut, revealed that investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined Manchester resident Andrew Francoeur was buying firearms from a Missouri company.
Prosecutors said that Francoeur was having the guns shipped to him and was manufacturing the guns inside a shipping container on a property in Suffield. Prosecutors added that Francoeur sold some of the firearms he manufactured.
When Francoeur was incarcerated in state custody for firearm and drug offenses, he arranged for McManus to take possession of his guns and ammunition, according to prosecutors. McManus reportedly sold some of the guns, broke some into pieces upon learning of the ATF investigation and stored Francoeur’s property in two storage bins.
Prosecutors said that in November 2022, investigators found the storage bins and discovered firearm parts, a .22 caliber rifle, more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, 25 high-capacity magazines, M-80 explosives, firearm gear and other items.
McManus was previously convicted for drug, firearm, larceny and failure to appear offenses, and it is illegal for a person previously convicted of a felony to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
McManus pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon on April 11. He is released on a $25,000 bond and must report to prison on Oct. 17.
Francoeur pleaded guilty in federal court on April 27, 2023 to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison on Sept. 6, 2023.
The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted through Project Safe Neighborhoods, which looks to unite all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to curb gun violence and other violent crime while making neighborhoods safer for everyone.
----
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
