Hartford Man, 30, Sentenced To Prison For Gun Charge: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — A 30-year-old Hartford man was sentenced Thursday to 2 years behind bars after a prior gun conviction, according to federal authorities.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, announced that Jaime Diaz, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally purchasing, possessing and selling firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 2020 and November 2021, Diaz purchased approximately 17 handguns from two Connecticut firearm dealers.

Avery said, at the time of the purchases, Diaz was an unlawful user of controlled substances.

After obtaining the firearms, Diaz sold them to others in exchange for cash, as well as narcotics, according to officials.

On Nov. 30, 2021, federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms special agents interviewed Diaz and seized the only firearm that remained in his possession, according to Avery.

Diaz sold one handgun back to the firearm dealer he had purchased it from, she said.

Another handgun Diaz purchased was recovered by the Hartford Police Department from an individual charged with drug trafficking, Avery said.

The remaining 14 firearms handguns have not been recovered, according to officials.

On Sept. 7, 2022, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of dealing in firearms without a license.

Diaz has been detained since April 10, 2023, when his bond was revoked.

For more information on the case, click on this link.