Christopher Dent, of Bridgeport was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months incarceration for illegally possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

 

Dent, age 33, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in May 2018. Dent, who had previously been convicted of crimes in New Jersey, admitted to having a 9mm caliber pistol in May 2017 in Harrison County.

 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Bridgeport Police Department investigated.

 

Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.