Convicted Felon Offers Plea in Federal Firearms Case

Watertown, CT - Michael A. Petro, 44, a convicted felon not allowed to possess a gun or ammunition, pleaded guilty Monday in connection with a federal firearms case, announced Deirdre M. Daly.

Petro, a Watertown resident, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to prosecutors, Petro was caught hunting with a 12 gauge shotgun on National Parks Service property in Kent in December 2015.

The incident occurred in morning on December 10 while a law enforcement officer was patrolling part of the Appalachian Trail in Kent, which is posted with no hunting signs. 

"The officer observed Petro in camouflage gear holding a Savage Arms/Stevens Model 311, 12 gauge shotgun, which was breached open and unloaded," according to Daly. "After the officer asked Petro where the shotgun shells were and Petro denied having any, the officer and her canine located two 12 gauge shotgun shells under fallen leaves approximately 20 yards away from where Petro was standing.  A subsequent search of PETRO’s jacket revealed two additional shotgun shells."

Petro’s criminal history includes a felony conviction for assault. according to Daly, and 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."

He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on September 14, 2016, at which time Petro faces a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. 

Currently, Petro is in state custody on unrelated charges.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Conservation Police of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.

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