Illegal Guns, Illicit Drugs Seized; 2 Men Arrested: Stamford Police

STAMFORD, CT — Two more illegal guns and a host of illicit drugs were seized by Stamford police in yet another investigation by the department's Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad (NOC), according to Assistant Police Chief Richard Conklin.

Aaron "Teimo" Atwater, 26, and Darelle Porter, 20, both of Stamford, were arrested on Jan. 30 in connection with the investigation, Conklin said.

Officers received information that two men, later identified as Atwater and Porter, were in possession of fentanyl packaged for resale in the area of Main Street and Clinton Avenue, police said.

NOC detectives located a vehicle in the area and followed it to the 100 block of Grove Street where a traffic stop was initiated around 5:30 p.m., Conklin said.

A polymer 80 .45 caliber semi-automatic "ghost gun" was found in plain view on the floor where Porter was seated, police said, and a glock "23" .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine was found during a search under the seat where Atwater was seated.

The glock's serial number was scratched and the firearm was converted to being fully automatic, police noted.

Officers also found 75 bags of fentanyl; 1.9 grams of powder cocaine; two bottles of promethazine, an antihistamine medicine commonly abused by users; 45 alprazolam pills, which are similar to Xanax; 25 oxycodone pills; and a scale, police said.

According to police, Atwater faces a series of charges including:

Criminal possession of a firearm; criminal possession of ammunition; possession of an assault weapon; possession of fire enhancement; illegal possession of a high capacity magazine; weapons in a motor vehicle; altering ID marks of a firearm; illegal transfer of a firearm; possession of narcotics; possession with intent to sell; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell; criminal violation of a protective order; operating under suspension; operating a suspended vehicle; operating an unregistered motor vehicle; and operating an uninsured vehicle.

Atwater was issued a $1 million bond (30 percent serious firearm offense cash bond). The CT Judicial Branch website notes Atwater remains in custody with a court date scheduled for April 22 on the Stamford charges.

Porter was charged with possession of a pistol without a permit; failure to obtain a serial number on a firearm; illegal transfer of a firearm; and weapons in a motor vehicle, police said. He was issued a bond of $150,000 with a court date of Feb. 11.

In the past week or so, the SPD has taken six illegal guns off the streets, which have included stolen firearms and ghost guns, and "extreme" high-capacity magazines, said Conklin, who praised investigators.

"Kudos to the crews for seizing and arresting parties for carrying these illegal handguns," he said. "Unfortunately, when you get this many in a week it just shows our work is not done and we'll have to continue to focus on this."