John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of
Connecticut, announced that RASCELL LEGGETT, 32, of Hartford, was sentenced
today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 84 months of
imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for illegally
possessing a firearm, and for violating the conditions of his supervised
release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court,
on June 22, 2011, Leggett was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 60 months
of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for
distributing marijuana and crack cocaine in Hartford. He was released from federal prison in
February 2015. Leggett subsequently
violated the conditions of his supervised release and, in June 2016, was
sentenced to an additional four months of imprisonment, followed by two years
and eight months of supervised release.
He was released from federal prison in November 2016.
In August 2017, Leggett was arrested by Hartford Police and
charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of
alcohol and illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension. Leggett subsequently failed to appear for a
federal supervised release violation hearing on November 6, 2017.
On December 18, 2017, investigators arrested Leggett after
they stopped a vehicle he was operating on Albany Avenue in Hartford. A search of the car revealed 148 bags of
heroin, a Ruger 9mm pistol loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, and $655 in
cash. A search of Leggett’s person
revealed approximately four grams of crack cocaine.
At the time of his arrest, Leggett also had an active Hartford
Police arrest warrant for attempted first degree assault with a firearm,
criminal possession of a weapon, and risk if injury to a minor. The charges stemmed from an incident on
December 13, 2017, when Leggett fired a gun into a car occupied by a woman and
her minor child.
Leggett has been detained since his arrest. On October 17, 2018, he pleaded guilty in
federal court to one count of possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug
trafficking crime.
Judge Hall sentenced Leggett to 60 months of imprisonment
for possessing a firearm, and a consecutive 24 months of imprisonment for
violating his supervised release.
Leggett has also pleaded guilty in state court to offenses
stemming from the shooting on December 13, 2017, and awaits sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes
members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department,
Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and
Narcotics Division provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S.
Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a
program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities
they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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