New Haven Man Sentenced To Prison For Gun Charges: Feds

NEW HAVEN, CT — A New Haven man was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for gun possession, according to a statement from Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Vashun Lewis, aka "V-Love," 45, of New Haven, will also serve 5 years of supervised release.

In 2017, New Haven police received information that Lewis was engaged in an illegal cigarette trafficking operation, was selling marijuana and heroin, and was known to possess a handgun. Before that, Lewis had been convicted of state robbery, assault, drug, weapon and racketeering offenses.

Lewis was arrested June 1, 2017, after searched his home and found a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, more than 100 grams of marijuana, about 13 grams of heroin packaged for distribution, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, and more than 50 cartons of cigarettes.

Investigators also seized about 500 grams of cocaine from a car connected to Lewis that was parked outside of his residence.

Lewis was found guilty in March 2020 of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.