East Hartford man admits federal drug, gun crimes

Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Mar. 21—An East Hartford man with multiple state convictions for drug and gun crimes pleaded guilty Friday to federal gun possession and drug distribution offenses, U.S. Attorney Leonard C. Boyle announced.

Francisco Franceschini, 28, who has been detained since his Sept. 23 federal arrest and is described as "last residing in East Hartford," entered the guilty pleas in U.S. District Court in Hartford.

He admitted to one count each of possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it and possessing guns and ammunition after being convicted of a felony, the prosecutor said in a statement.

The drug crime carries up to 20 years in prison while the gun crime carries up to 10 years. The written plea agreement that would ordinarily state the sentence range recommended by federal guidelines wasn't immediately available on a federal court computer system this morning.

The prosecutor's statement didn't say when Franceschini is scheduled to be sentenced. Judge Vanessa L. Bryant is presiding over his case in the Hartford federal court.

A court-authorized search of Franceschini's East Hartford home on April 8, 2021, produced 9mm and .380 caliber handguns, both loaded, and some 44 grams of crack cocaine, the prosecutor said.

Franceschini's criminal record includes multiple state convictions for gun and drug crimes, the prosecutor said. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a gun or ammunition that has crossed a state line.

Online state judicial records show that Franceschini was convicted of two state gun crimes in a single incident that occurred July 27, 2013, in Hartford.

The records show three drug convictions, including one for possessing narcotics in Manchester in 2013, which led to a one-year prison sentence. A conviction for possessing narcotics with the intent to sell them in Hartford in 2018 also led to a one-year sentence, although this one also included three years' probation and the possibility of three more years behind bars for any violation of release conditions.

In addition to the drug and gun crimes, Franceschini's criminal record includes several other convictions, including one for a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault, online records show. He also has several pending state cases.

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