Marquees Rodriguez
Introduction
Marquees Rodriguez, 23, of New Britain, Connecticut, pleaded guilty on 12 November 2026 before US District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon . The charge arose from a March 2026 traffic stop in Hartford in which officers found a pistol that had been taken from a vehicle in Berlin, Connecticut, lying on the floor of a car that had itself been reported stolen . Rodriguez has been detained since his arrest and faces a maximum of 15 years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for 4 February 2027 .
Background Information
On 5 March 2026, members of the Greater Hartford Regional Auto Theft Task Force conducting surveillance in Hartford identified a vehicle that had been taken in Granby approximately one week earlier . Officers stopped the car and Rodriguez, who was driving it, ran from the vehicle and was apprehended shortly thereafter . Officers found a Ruger SR40 .40 caliber pistol on the floor of the car; the pistol had been taken from a vehicle in Berlin in January 2026 . Rodriguez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for assault, firearm, larceny and threatening offenses .
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Convicted by plea: admitted possessing a pistol taken from another vehicle as a felon; up to fifteen years at his February sentencing.
Rodriguez admitted in federal court that he unlawfully possessed the Ruger SR40 pistol as a previously convicted felon, resolving the case that began with his flight from the stolen car in Hartford . The plea leaves sentencing for 4 February 2027, where the 15-year statutory maximum applies . Charges against Rodriguez related to this auto theft and several other auto thefts remain pending in state court .
Public Reaction and Consequences
The plea was announced by US Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut together with Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division, and Hartford Police Chief James Rovella . The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hartford Police Department and the Greater Hartford Regional Auto Theft Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Sean P. Mahard . No public statement from Rodriguez or a defence attorney was reported .
Current Status
Rodriguez remains in federal custody pending his 4 February 2027 sentencing, where he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment for the felon-in-possession conviction . The state auto-theft charges remain outstanding alongside the federal case .
Impact on Their Career/Life
At 23, with prior state felony convictions for assault, firearms, larceny and threatening, Rodriguez has now admitted a federal firearm offense that carries a potential 15-year term — the fourth conviction category of his young adult life, with state theft charges still to come .
Sources
- “New Britain Man Admits Possessing Stolen Gun in Stolen Car in Hartford” — US Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut / justice.gov, November 2026: source