Hartford Man Sentenced For Federal Gun Charges: Authorities

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man will spend more than four years behind bars after being sentenced by a federal judge Tuesday for a gun violation.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, announced Joseph Steele, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced Tuesday by Federal Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.

According to authorities, Steele unlawfully possessed a firearm and violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2017, Steele was arrested by Hartford police after a search of his vehicle revealed a stolen .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol, 50 wax folds of fentanyl, and two knotted plastic bags containing approximately 6.5 grams of crack cocaine.

On April 16, 2018, a federal jury found Steele guilty of drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

On July 9, 2018, Shea sentenced him to 36 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

Steele was released from federal prison in February 2020.

On Jan. 28, 2022, while on federal supervised release, he was arrested by Hartford police after they found him in possession of a loaded 9-mm handgun, Avery said.

She said Steele’s criminal history also includes a 2016 state conviction for possession of a firearm without a permit.

Authorities said it is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Steele has been detained since Jan. 28, 2022. On Feb. 10, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.

For the full, U.S. Attorney's Office announcement, click on this link.