A 42-year-old Derby man faces up to 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty in federal court Tuesday (Sept. 4) to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, federal prosecutors announced.
The charge stems from a motor vehicle stop last April off Interstate 91 near Hartford during which a state trooper seized a loaded 9 mm pistol from the waistband of the man, Albert Lopez, according to court documents.
At the time, federal prosecutors say Lopez was on federal probation for a previous conviction. The charge? Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Federal prosecutors say Lopez’s record includes a number of felony convictions in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, including second-degree assault with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Lopez’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 27, at which time he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, though because he pleaded guilty those numbers will likely be reduced.
Tuesday’s plea occurred at U.S. District Court in Bridgeport before Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton.
The case was investigated by the state police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the United State Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Freimann and Ndidi Moses are prosecuting the case.
