Crime & Safety
Sentence Handed Down for Felon with Illegal Firearm at CT National Park
Michael A. Petro pleaded guilty in June for illegally hunting along the Appalachian Trail in Kent.
WATERTOWN, CT — Michael A. Petro, 44, of Watertown was sentenced to 11 months in prison, time served, and two years of supervised release for illegally hunting on National Park land along the Appalachian Trail in Kent last year.
United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford. Petro, a convicted felon, was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition in December of 2015 and has been in custody ever since.
According to court documents and statements, a law enforcement officer patrolling part of the Trail in Kent one morning in December spotted Petro "in camouflage gear holding a Savage Arms/Stevens Model 311, 12 gauge shotgun, which was breached open and unloaded." The area has signs posted that state that the land is National Parks Service property and is closed to hunting.
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"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," according to Daly. "A subsequent search of Petro’s jacket revealed two additional shotgun shells."
Petro’s criminal history includes a felony conviction for assault, 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."
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He pleaded guilty in June to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Additionally, Petro must perform 200 hours of community service during his term of supervised release.
The case was 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. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
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