Vernon Man Facing 10 Years In Federal Gun Case

VERNON, CT — A Vernon man is facing federal gun charges.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Rondell Chambers, 31, of Vernon, pleaded guilty Friday in Hartford federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Oct. 17, 2020, Hartford Police stopped a vehicle in which Chambers was a passenger in order to arrest Chambers on outstanding warrants. When Chambers stepped out of the vehicle, he dropped a satchel containing a loaded Bersa Firestorm .40 caliber pistol, court records show. Chambers was arrested and the firearm was seized, Avery said.

Avery said Chambers' criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions for drug and gun offenses. 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, she said.

Chambers is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on Sept. 22, at which time Chambers faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Chambers is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and David Sheldon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.