Indictment Charges New Haven Man with Firearm Offense

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging ADRIAN BELLE, 30, of New Haven, with the unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

The indictment was returned on September 5, 2024. Belle appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Belle is currently serving a sentence on Florida state charges arising out of an unrelated incident.

The indictment alleges that on August 26, 2023, in New Haven, Belle possessed a black Polymer 80 firearm ("ghost gun") containing ammunition that was manufactured in Serbia.

The indictment further alleges that Belle's criminal history includes a federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and state convictions for robbery in the first degree and assault on personnel. 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.

If convicted of the charge, Belle faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Belle, who was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged offense, faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Guevremont 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.