Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Gun Possession, Violating Supervised Release

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TAFARIE GREEN, 31, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 62 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2016, Green was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for his role in a gang-related crack cocaine distribution ring in Hartford.  Green, who had been detained since his arrest in April 2014, was released from federal prison in April 2019.

On June 2, 2020, Hartford Police detectives conducting a narcotics investigation approached a Dodge Durango that was parked on Kenneth Street in Hartford.  Green, the driver of the vehicle, accelerated and drove straight at the detectives who leaped out of the way.  He then drove at a high rate of speed onto a sidewalk and through two chain link fences before he crashed into a tree.  Green fled the scene on foot.  A second occupant of the vehicle, who possessed a loaded handgun, was immediately apprehended.  A search of the Durango revealed a Ruger 9mm pistol and approximately 144 grams of fentanyl, as well as Green’s wallet and iPhone.

Forensic analysis of the Ruger 9mm pistol revealed the presence of Green’s DNA.

In addition to his previous federal narcotics conviction, Green’s criminal history includes state convictions for assault, robbery, attempted burglary and criminal possession of a firearm. 

Green was arrested on July 13, 2020.  On April 1, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.  He has been detained since his arrest.

Judge Dooley sentenced Green to 50 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm, and an additional 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.

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.