Stratford Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Gun Charge

STRATFORD, CT — A Stratford man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge for illegally buying a gun, according to authorities. Tymon Peterson, 29, of Stratford, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, U.S. States Attorney for Connecticut John H. Durham announced.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in August and September 2017, Peterson and Jamal Weir texted one another about purchasing firearms. Peterson possessed a valid pistol permit and was able to purchase firearms legally, but Weir, as a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms, according to authorities.

“On September 22, 2017, Peterson and Weir travelled together to Hoffman’s Gun Center in Newington,” according to a press release from the U.S. States Attorney’s Office. “At the store, Weir provided Peterson with cash to purchase at least one firearm on his behalf. On that date, Peterson filled out an ATF Form 4473 in which he falsely represented that he was the actual purchaser of a SCCY Model CPX-2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and that he was not acquiring the firearm for another person. Peterson gave the pistol to Weir after they exited the store.”

Peterson was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Jan. 1, 2018. Peterson faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison when he sentenced on March 8, 2019. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

Weir, 29, of Bridgeport, has been detained since his arrest on Sept. 17, 2018. He pleaded guilty on Dec. 6 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 2019.

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