Southington man pleads guilty to selling assault weapons: Feds

SOUTHINGTON/BRIDGEPORT, CT – A Southington man admitted in federal court Tuesday that he illegally sold dangerous homemade assault rifles and ammunition and pleaded guilty to multiple charges.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. attorney for Connecticut, said Bryan Joyce, 38, of Southington, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport to multiple felonies related to the sale of privately manufactured AR-15 firearms, ammunition and marijuana .

According to court documents and statements in court, in January 2022, Connecticut State Police received information that Joyce was offering to sell assault weapons and other firearms.

These included privately manufactured firearms (PMFs or “ghost guns”), as well as ammunition and firearm accessories, according to Avery.

She said on Jan. 28, 2022, Joyce sold an undercover law enforcement officer a privately made AR-15 rifle, a privately made 9mm handgun and a box of ammunition in exchange for $2,000.

On March 4, 2022, Joyce sold the undercover agent two loaded AR-15 rifles and approximately 400 grams of marijuana for $5,800, authorities said.

On March 21, 2022, Joyce was taken into custody in a Waterbury parking lot, where he met with the undercover agent who arranged to purchase five additional privately manufactured AR-15 rifles and a kilogram of marijuana, Avery said.

A search of Joyce’s vehicle turned up five firearms, marijuana and numerous rounds of ammunition, she said.

The investigation revealed that Gregory Leary was Joyce’s weapons supplier.

A subsequent search of Leary’s then-residence in Wolcott uncovered several other illegally manufactured weapons and tools/equipment for their manufacture.

Joyce is a felon with a criminal record that includes state convictions for drug, theft and burglary offenses, Avery said.

She said it is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony to possess a firearm or ammunition that was moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Avery said Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking firearms without a license, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; three counts of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, each count punishable by a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment; one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Joyce will be sentenced on January 6, 2025.