Stratford Man Sentenced To Prison On Federal Gun Charge

STRATFORD, CT — A Stratford man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison on a federal gun charge stemming from a domestic violence incident in town, according to authorities. Matthew Petrovitch, 38, of Stratford, was also sentenced to three years of supervised released following the prison term for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, U.S. States Attorney for Connecticut John H. Durham announced in a press release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Sept. 26, 2017, Stratford Police responded to Petrovitch’s residence after a female victim reported that he had physically assaulted her and threatened her with a firearm while she was holding a young child.

“After Petrovitch was taken into custody, officers searched the residence and seized an AK-74 semiautomatic rifle, a short-barreled shotgun, and more than 350 rounds of assorted ammunition,” according to a press release from the U.S. State’s Attorney’s Office. “The short-barreled shotgun was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required.”

In March 2000, Petrovitch was convicted in state court of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and third-degree robbery. 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, according to authorities.

Petrovitch pleaded guilty in May to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. He previously pleaded guilty in Bridgeport Superior Court to state charges related to this incident.

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in recognition of the severity of crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To learn more about VAWA and resources that are available, contact the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women at www.justice.gov/ovw.

In an emergency, victims of domestic violence should call 911 or contact state or local law enforcement officials, who can respond to these crimes. Individuals in need of non-emergency assistance can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.

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