45°
Dahonta Hilliard, 24, was sentenced for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford, court records show.
His prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the conviction stemmed from an incident on Aug. 25, 2013, when Norwalk police officers were called to disband a fight between 15 to 20 people in the King Kennedy housing complex.
As officers approached the housing complex, a number of people, including Hilliard, began to scatter. From previous encounters with him, Norwalk police knew Hilliard was a Crips gang associate who was not a resident of the housing complex.
Officers approached Hilliard and asked whether he had any weapons. After he responded that he had a knife, officers searched him and found a loaded Bersa .380 semi-automatic handgun.
Hilliard had been previously convicted of a felony offense, 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 has been detained since his federal arrest on March 3, 2014. On Aug. 14, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Norwalk Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
