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William Dong was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford for transporting an assault weapon into Connecticut in violation of federal law.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2013, Dong traveled to Pennsylvania, purchased a Bushmaster model XM-15-E2S, .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle and transported the rifle back to Connecticut. This firearm is considered a prohibited assault weapon under Connecticut state law.
On Dec. 3, 2013, West Haven Police arrested Dong in the vicinity of the UNH campus after he was found in possession of two handguns, and the Bushmaster rifle, which was seized from his nearby car.
Dong, a UNH student, told police that he had purchased the rifle through an advertisement placed on www.armslist.com.
Although it is not unlawful under federal law for an individual, who is not a prohibited person, to possess this Bushmaster firearm, it is a federal violation for an individual to purchase this firearm outside of Connecticut and travel into the state with it, because it is a prohibited firearm under Connecticut state law.
Dong, who has been detained since his arrest, has said that he had the firearms out of concern for his safety and the safety of his fellow UNH students.
He pleaded guilty to the federal charge on Nov. 6. He also previously pleaded guilty in Milford Superior Court to state firearms offenses related to the incident and has been sentenced to eight years of incarceration, execution suspended after two years, and five years of probation.
In the federal case, Dong faced six to 12 months in prison, Instead, Chatigny imposed a five-year term of probation, the maximum allowed under the law. Chatigny agreed with the government’s position that Dong's prison term with the state is sufficient, but that a longer period of federal supervision is necessary to ensure the safety of the community.
As conditions of probation, Chatigny ordered that Dong cannot possess any firearms or ammunition, associate with individuals in possession of firearms or go to shooting ranges. He also must submit to mental health counseling.
“A sentence of five years of probation with mental health counseling is an appropriate resolution to this case, as it will provide Mr. Dong with needed federal supervision,” said U.S. Attorney For Connecticut Deirdre Daly.
“We want to thank the conscientious citizen who first alerted law enforcement that an individual was in possession of a powerful and potentially dangerous firearm. We also want to acknowledge the rapid response of the West Haven Police and University of New Haven Police, which quickly resolved this unsettling situation.”
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