A Bridgeport man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to steal firearms from an Ansonia company.
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Eugene Stinson, also known as ​“Nast,” 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced August 16, by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 10 years of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a conspiracy to steal more than two dozen assault rifles from an Ansonia firearms company.
Judge Arterton also ordered Stinson to pay a fine in the amount of $1000.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the March 2010 trial in this matter, in late August and early September 2009, law enforcement in Bridgeport recovered seven military-type assault rifles.
The firearms were traced to American Precision Manufacturing Company (“APM”) in Ansonia, a business that assembles guns forCentury Arms of Vermont.
ATF agents investigating the matter received information from an individual who had worked at APM that he had provided Stinson with information about how he could steal firearms from APM. Based on that information, ATF arranged a sting operation.
At the instruction of ATF, the individual providing information to ATF placed recorded calls to Stinson and arranged to meet him at APM. On October 20, 2009, the two met at APM and engaged in a lengthy discussion of the planned firearms theft.
At approximately 2:00 a.m. on October 21, law enforcement officers observed Stinson’s father, Michael Stinson, and David Harvin arrive at APM, enter the building, and pack 29 firearms into four duffle bags that they had brought with them.
Michael Stinson and Harvin then carried two of the bags containing 16 firearms from the building and placed the bags inside their vehicle. Officers apprehended Michael Stinson and Harvin before they could reenter APM to gather the other 13 firearms.
The following morning, Eugene Stinson was arrested by the United States Marshals Service at his home in the PT Barnum housing complex in Bridgeport.
On October 28, 2009, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Eugene Stinson, Michael Stinson and Harvin with one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Michael Stinson and Harvin also were charged with possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. A trial before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton began on March 4. Harvin pleaded guilty to all three counts in the indictment on March 8, before the jury began deliberations. On March 9, the jury found Eugene Stinson and Michael Stinson guilty on all counts.
On May 28, 2010, Judge Arterton sentenced Michael Stinson and Harvin to federal prison terms of 200 months and 110 months, respectively.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Felice M. Duffy and Robert M. Spector.
U.S. Attorney Fein noted that this prosecution is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
This program is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession, sale and trafficking of guns, and improving the safety of residents throughout Connecticut.
Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.