Hartford Man Sentenced for Illegal Gun Possession

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man was sentenced to prison Monday after pleading guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Jesus Santiago, also known as “Choco,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 75 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 21, 2016, Hartford police received information that a vehicle traveling in the area of Wadsworth Street and Seymour Street in Hartford was occupied by “Choco,” who was in possession of a loaded firearm. Officers located the vehicle, which attempted to speed away and enter I-91 from the Whitehead Highway but lost control, struck a concrete barrier and rolled to a stop, Daly said.

Officers observed Santiago drop a firearm from the driver side window as the car was rolling. He was apprehended, and a search of the roadway revealed a.380 caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition, Daly said.

Prior to June 2016, Santiago had been convicted of seven felony offenses, including multiple drug offenses, violating a protective order and second degree robbery, Daly said.

On February 13, 2017, Santiago pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

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