Bridgeport Felon Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms (DOJ)

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHACQUILLE JACKSON, 31, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement spotted Jackson, who had an outstanding arrest warrant for a domestic violence incident, driving a car with license plates from another vehicle. After stopping, Jackson ran from the car with a gun in his hand. Officers apprehended Jackson and seized the handgun, which he had dropped. A search of Jackson's person revealed approximately 87 grams of cocaine, 19 grams of crack cocaine, and $1,167 in cash, and a search of Jackson's car revealed a semi-automatic handgun, an extended magazine loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition, and a digital scale.

Jackson's criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for firearm, narcotics, robbery, burglary, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Jackson has been detained since his arrest. On September 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Fairfield County Auto Theft Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.