Man arrested for trading guns for drugs

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH)-- A Trumbull man faces charges after he traded guns for drugs in Bridgeport, on Thursday.

Police say Gregg Cavalier, 58, admitted he traded two guns to his crack cocaine dealer and turned over two other handguns he had in his possession to police.

"This was great investigative work, following leads and identifying one of the sources of the handguns that plague our city.  It was only a matter of time before the other two guns ended up on the street in the hands of criminals. I think that this investigation saved lives," said said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr.

Police say they were led to Cavalier after a raid by the gang unit, in a second floor apartment at 242 Parrott Street. They were targeting Elijah Lewis, who is on probation for illegal possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, prescription pain killers, money and a .38-caliber handgun were also found after a search of the apartment. Police learned the gun discovered was from Cavalier. Lewis, his girlfriend and her 18-year-old son were in the apartment at the time.

Further investigation led police to discover that another gun arrest from February, of Andy Marte, also traced back to a gun that belong to Cavalier.

Cavalier reported that gun missing, before admitting he sold that, along with extra magazines, ammunition and a holster to his drug dealer Andy.

The recovered handguns will be test fired to determine if they were used in any other crimes in Bridgeport.

Lewis was arrested on drug and narcotic charges and was held on $300,000 bond.

Cavalier was charged with illegal trafficking of a firearm, two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit and two counts of illegal transfer of a firearm.