NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Hartford charges a man formerly of Questa, N.M. with gun trafficking offenses, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Prosecutors say Timothy Gregory, 42, was arrested on July 18 in Eugene, Ore. relative to a criminal complaint and that the indictment was returned on July 31. Gregory has reportedly been detained since his arrest.
On Thursday, Gregory appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Court documents and statements made note that an FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigation discovered that Gregory offered to sell and ship guns to an individual in Connecticut who is banned from owning firearms.
This past May, Gregory allegedly mailed a package containing a Glock 42 .380 caliber pistol and three magazines to Connecticut. Then in June, he allegedly mailed a .223 caliber AR15-style rifle and two empty 30-round magazines to Connecticut. Prosecutors say Gregory also indicated that he had around 300 additional guns, some of which were fully automatic, to sell. He also allegedly claimed to have six hand grenades.
In the indictment, Gregory is charged with two counts of firearm trafficking, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years on each count. He is also charged with two counts of unlawful transfer of firearms to an out-of-state residence, which could land him in prison for five years on each count. Additionally, Gregory is charged with two counts of mailing non-mailable firearms, which carries a maximum prison term of two years on each count.
The U.S. Attorney emphasizes that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that a charge is only an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being partially prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was enacted by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in June 2022. Prosecutors say the act is the first federal statute specifically created to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
Furthermore, the case is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Postal Service.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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