Bridgeport Felon Sentenced In Federal Illegal Gun Possession Case

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 36-year-old Bridgeport man was sentenced last week to 69 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal firearm possession by a felon, and violating terms of his previous parole, announced United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Charles Young, also known as "Cash," was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford; in 2016, Young was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to court documents and statements, Young was arrested in February 2015 after he had led law enforcement officers in a high-speed car chase that began in Bridgeport’s east end, continued on I-95 South and ended when Young crashed into a snowbank after exiting the highway in Fairfield.

"During the chase, a witness saw Young throw something from his car in the vicinity of Exit 24 in Fairfield," prosecutors said in a statement. "A search of the area revealed a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm. Young pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a felon and, on May 16, 2016, was sentenced by Judge Shea to 50 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release."

Related to that incident, Young was also sentenced in state court to five years of in prison for violating his probation that followed a 2010 conviction for criminal possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle.

He was released from federal prison in July 2019.

From the Avery announcement:

On December 28, 2020, Bridgeport Police officers, who were on high alert following the murder of a well-known gang member the day before, were patrolling the area of the PT Barnum housing complex in order to thwart retaliatory criminal activity. After observing an Audi SUV roll through a stop sign, officers attempted to stop the vehicle. The SUV sped away, crashed into two cars, and both the driver, Cole Hernandez, and passenger, Charles Young, fled on foot. Young ran eastbound on Fairfield Avenue where he was apprehended after he attempted to forcibly enter a vehicle that was stopped at a traffic light.

A search of the SUV revealed a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended and partially loaded 50-round magazine, and 50 glassine envelopes containing fentanyl. Investigators also found a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a mounted light and laser attachment and a fully loaded 17-round magazine on the ground next to the passenger door of the SUV.

DNA analysis of the seized firearms connected the .45 caliber pistol to Hernandez and the 9mm pistol to Young.

Young has been detained since his arrest. On April 27, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Hernandez has been detained since his arrest on May 12, 2021. On January 12, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of Scientific Services. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.