WOLCOTT, Conn. (WTNH) – A Wolcott man has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for illegally manufacturing and dealing AR-15-style firearms without a license, according to the Department of Justice.
United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery said 35-year-old Gregory Leary was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Leary was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
According to court records, between January and March 2022, Leary received Polymer80 firearm kits from another person and assembled them in the basement of his home in Wolcott.
On three separate occasions during that period, Leary provided the individual eight AR-15 assault-style rifles with collapsible stocks and 30-round magazines. He also gave the individual a “P80” 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a fully loaded 10-round magazine; 190 rounds of .223 ammunition; one “Magtec” box containing 50 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and one “independence” box which contained 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The assault rifles and 9mm handgun did not have serial numbers, according to officials.
Leary pleaded guilty to dealing and manufacturing the firearms on June 13. He also admitted he sold more than 25 firearms to the same person, knowing the individual was selling the firearms to others.
The case is being investigated by numerous law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force, and the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force.
Several police agencies including the Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Bridgeport, Orange, Shelton, Waterbury and Hartford police departments are assisting with the investigation.
