New Britain Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm Offense Stemming from Ghost Gun Investigation

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN McMANUS, 55, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of an investigation into the proliferation of privately made firearms ("PMFs" or "ghost guns") in Connecticut, ATF investigators determined that Andrew Francoeur, a resident of Manchester, was buying firearm parts from a Missouri company, having the parts shipped to him, and manufacturing guns inside a shipping container on a property in Suffield. Francoeur sold some of the firearms he manufactured.

While he was incarcerated in state custody for firearm and drug offenses, Francoeur arranged for McManus to take possession of his guns and ammunition. McManus sold some of the firearms, broke some into pieces when he learned of the ATF investigation, and ultimately stored Francoeur's property in two storage bins. In November 2022, investigators retrieved the storage bins and found firearm parts, a .22 caliber rifle, more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, 25 high-capacity magazines, M-80 explosives, firearm gear, and other items.

McManus' criminal history includes felony convictions for drug, firearm, larceny, and failure to appear 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.

On April 11, 2024, McManus pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

McManus, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 17.

On April 27, 2023, Francoeur pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license. On September 6, 2023, he was sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.

This case was prosecuted through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.