Bridgeport Man Pleads To Illegal Gun Trafficking: U.S. Attorney

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 39-year-old Bridgeport man pleaded guilty Monday to an offense relating to his illegal trafficking of firearms from Georgia to Connecticut, United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery announced.

Tyree Thomas pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to crossing state lines with the intent to engage in the unlawful dealing of firearms. The offense carries a maximum prison term of 10 years; Thomas' sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents and statements, Thomas' criminal history includes felony convictions, meaning he is prohibited from purchasing firearms. Yet between approximately August 2021 and March 2022, Thomas traveled to Georgia multiple times where, using a straw purchaser, he acquired at least 20 firearms.

Thomas is accused of then transporting the firearms to Connecticut, where he sold or transferred them to felons and others who were not licensed to possess them, according to prosecutors. Several of the firearms that Thomas acquired in Georgia have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, including two that were recovered in connection with homicides.

Thomas was arrested in September 2023, and he is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

From Avery's announcement:

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Clark and Rahul Kale through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/PSN.