Bridgeport Man Arrested On Illegal Firearm Charge In Stamford: Police

STAMFORD, CT — A loaded, illegal gun, a ski mask and a dark hoodie were recovered and a man and woman were arrested in Stamford on July 20 following information that came into the Stamford Police Department's Crime & Gun Stoppers tip line, according to Asst. Police Chief Richard Conklin.

Job Casimir, 36, a former Stamford resident who now lives in Bridgeport, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm; criminal possession of ammunition; weapons in a motor vehicle; possession of a high-capacity magazine; and conspiracy, Conklin said, noting a bond of $150,000.

Veronica Horvath, 22, of Shelton, was charged with possession of a pistol without a permit; weapons in a motor vehicle; possession of a high-capacity magazine; and conspiracy. Her bond was $50,000.

The two appeared in Stamford Superior Court on July 21, and they were remanded to custody in Bridgeport, Conklin noted.

The SPD's Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad received information through the department's tip line that the pair had an illegal gun in a black Honda Civic which had a red emblem on the grill at the Red Carpet Inn located on East Main Street in Stamford, Conklin said.

The NOC Squad, along with patrol division officers, moved quickly and pulled over a car matching the description at approximately 8:30 p.m., on July 20, Conklin said.

"This is certainly a very nice job by narcotics and organized crime in relation to a crimestopper gun program tip," Conklin said. "They did a nice job working with uniformed personnel."

A search of the car found a 9mm Taurus semi-automatic handgun, loaded with a high-capacity magazine containing 15 9mm rounds in a shoe box in the trunk, Conklin said.

Officers also found a gray ski mask, a black t-shirt and a black hoodie in the car — a discovery that concerned officers, Conklin explained.

Casimir, a former Stamford athlete who played Division 1 basketball with Quinnipiac University for a few seasons beginning in 2005 and later with the University of South Carolina-Aiken, has "a "litany" of past charges and convictions, according to Conklin.

Most notably, the Stamford Advocate previously reported that Casimir pleaded guilty in 2010 to robbing First County Bank on Hope Street in Stamford in December 2009.

Casimir was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended after 54 months, for his role in the armed robbery, the Advocate said.

— By Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff