Fugitive Felon Who Possessed Loaded Gun Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ELLIOTT OTERO, 34, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 25, 2021, Otero was charged in state court with failing to appear in connection with a probation violation as part of his sentence for a 2018 conviction for criminal possession of a pistol/revolver. On February 25, 2022, employees of a private bail enforcement company encountered Otero outside of a liquor store in Manchester and attempted to apprehend him. During a struggle, a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber pistol fell from his waistband. Manchester Police arrived shortly thereafter and took custody of Otero and the pistol. Subsequent analysis of the firearm revealed that it been stolen from a pickup truck in Wolcott in December 2021.

Otero's criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, robbery, and larceny offenses. 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.

Otero has been detained in state custody since his arrest. On February 15, 2023, he pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

This matter was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.