Hartford Man Charged with Federal Offenses Stemming from Drug-Related Shooting

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Brian C. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief David Rosado, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a four-count indictment charging RANDY PARKMAN, 41, of Hartford, with robbery and firearm offenses.

The indictment was returned on November 6, 2018.  Parkman appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since his arrest on October 22, 2018.

As alleged in court documents, on May 22, 2018, Parkman shot and seriously wounded an individual during a robbery at 149 Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford.  At the time, the location was being used as a “trap house” by a drug trafficking organization.  Parkman was arrested at his residence on October 22, 2018.  On that date, a search of the home revealed a Taurus, Model 444, .44 caliber revolver, which had been reported stolen from a motor vehicle in Hartford in August 2018.

It is alleged that Parkman’s criminal history includes numerous felony convictions for larceny, burglary and other 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.

The indictment charges Parkman with one count of interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of possession and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.  The indictment also charges Parkman with one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division and Shooting Task Force have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.