Indictment Charges Hartford Man on Federal Supervised Release with Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging KEVIN BARCO, 41, of Hartford, with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

The indictment was returned on September 3, 2025. Barco appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. He has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on related state charges on April 24, 2025.

The indictment alleges that, on April 24, 2025, Barco possessed a Springfield Armory XD .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number and a high-capacity magazine loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.

The indictment further alleges that Barco's criminal history includes state felony convictions for weapon, 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.

If convicted of the charge, Barco faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

On September 27, 2021, Barco was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 39 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun. He was released from federal prison in April 2024.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Harford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).