An investigation by federal, state and local officials has led to the arrest of a New Haven man in connection with the illegal sale and distribution of guns in the city.

On Friday morning, New Haven police served James Butler, 46, of State Street with a warrant charging him with four counts of illegal sale and transfer of firearms and 14 counts of criminal possession of a firearm.

Butler is currently incarcerated on a narcotics-related conviction. State police ordered him to surrender 22 guns that were registered in his possession when he was convicted in July 2001, but he failed to comply.

Officers from the New Haven Police Department subsequently recovered eight guns during the course of other investigations that were allegedly linked to Butler.

New Haven police are alleging that Butler acted as a “straw buyer” to purchase weapons legally and then resell them illegally.

–Yale Daily News