Convicted Bridgeport Felon Pleads Guilty In Federal Weapons Case

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 31-year-old convicted felon from Bridgeport pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Lamain Heard pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24. He has been in custody since his arrest in January.

According to court documents and statements, the case began on June 15, 2021, when law enforcement attempted to stop a car in which Heard was a passenger. The car drove at police officers, crashed into multiple vehicles, and then crashed into a pole.

When the car stopped, Heard dropped a semiautomatic pistol in the car and then attempted to flee the scene before he was caught. Subsequent forensic analysis of the firearm revealed that it contained Heard’s DNA.

Heard has previously been convicted of an undisclosed felony offense, and he attended a Project Safe Neighborhoods presentation at which he was informed that a felon caught with a firearm could be prosecuted in federal court.

At his sentencing, Heard faces a maximum prison term of 10 years.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.

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.