District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Armed Waterbury Drug Dealer Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER POLLER, 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2022, Waterbury Police traveled to Poller’s residence to issue an arrest warrant for Poller and to conduct a court-authorized search of the residence. Upon arrival, investigators observed Poller conduct suspected drug transactions from his vehicle, and then enter his residence. Poller was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed two loaded handguns, more than 500 dose bags of fentanyl, and approximately 39 grams of crack cocaine.
Poller’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics distribution, larceny, assault, escape, and weapons possession 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.
Poller has been detained since his arrest. On August 14, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEVIN TEXIRA, also known as “LV,” 27, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession by members of Los Solidos. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Luis Feliciano, also known as “Louminaty,” distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, and also to individuals in New York and Maine. In October 2021, a member of Feliciano’s drug trafficking network, Jose Tirado, coordinated the sale of 9mm handgun, owned by Texira, to another individual for $800.
Texira’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm possession, robbery, assault, and threatening offenses, and he was on state probation in October 2021 during the firearm transaction. 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.
Hartford Police arrested Texira on March 27, 2022, on state charges related to an alleged threatening incident involving a firearm.
On June 8, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Texira, Feliciano, Tirado, and 13 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
On February 16, 2023, Texira pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He has been detained since his arrest, and he awaits sentencing on the unrelated state charges.
Feliciano and Tirado pleaded guilty. On August 11, 2023, Tirado, also known as “Joselito” and “Leet,” was sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment. Feliciano awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff. through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Greenwich Psychologist Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for $2.6 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL LONSKI, 72, of Greenwich, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a $2.6 million health care fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lonski was a licensed psychologist who, along with wife, Dr. Evelyn Llewellyn, maintained separate medical practices out of their home office in Old Greenwich. Lonski and Llewellyn were authorized providers for the Connecticut Medicaid program (“Medicaid”), Medicare, and other health care benefit programs. Lonski assumed responsibility for submitting claims for reimbursement for services allegedly provided by himself and Llewellyn, both at their home office and at various skilled nursing facilities within Connecticut.
For years, Lonski billed insurers for services that he knew were not rendered, including by billing for patients who were deceased, for dates of service when he was out of the country, for dates of service when Llewellyn was out of the country, and for dates of service when he was hospitalized. From 2014 through 2019, Lonski submitted more than 80,000 claims for service, and he claimed to have provided services every single day, including weekends and holidays, except for one day in 2017. On 60 of these dates, Lonski billed for more than 24 hours of service, and on 901 dates, Lonski billed for more than 12 hours of service. These fraudulent claims resulted in a loss of over $2,651,294, including a loss of $1,157,292 to the Connecticut Medicaid program and a loss of $119,092 Medicare.
In 2002, Lonski settled a federal civil lawsuit alleging health care fraud, which was brought by the government in the Southern District of New York. Lonski agreed to pay $4 million in restitution and was excluded from participating in all federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for five years.
Judge Nagala ordered Lonski to pay restitution $2,651,294.
On December 12, 2022, Lonski pleaded guilty to health care fraud. Lonski is required to report to prison on March 25, 2024.
In May 2023, Llewellyn entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which she agreed to pay $658,294 to settle allegations that she received payment for claims submitted by Lonski to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for psychology services allegedly provided by Llewellyn to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries that were, in fact, not provided.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan L. Wines, Richard M. Molot, and Christine Sciarrino
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NESTOR SOSA-ORTIZ, 39, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department into a Waterbury-based drug trafficking operation headed by Sosa-Ortiz. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Sosa-Ortiz’s organization received large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics through a network of co-conspirators. After Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators, including his sisters, Imirici Sosa-Ortiz and Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz.
The Sosa-Ortiz organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin, and to process and package the drugs for street sale.
On October 29, 2019, several of Nestor Sosa-Ortiz’s co-conspirators were arrested. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at the Bishop Street apartment and four other locations and seized approximately six kilograms of fentanyl and heroin, approximately 100,000 bags of fentanyl/heroin packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm, and approximately $50,000 in cash.
Nestor-Sosa Ortiz has been detained since May 18, 2019, and his federal charges that were pending in the Southern District of New York were subsequently transferred to the District of Connecticut for further prosecution. On June 18, 2020, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, related to both the Connecticut and New York.
Seventeen individuals were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation. Imirici Sosa-Ortiz and Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 94 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Man Involved in Hartford Drug Deal That Resulted in Shooting Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS AQUILES, Jr., 37, formerly of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a heroin trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 10:00 p.m. on December 21, 2016, Hartford Police officers responded to a report of a person shot at a car wash located at 156 Franklin Avenue in Hartford. At the car wash, officers encountered an employee of the car wash who was suffering from two gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries,
The investigation, which included analysis of a surveillance video, revealed that Hector Alfonso arrived at the car wash shortly before the shooting to conduct a heroin transaction with Aquiles and Ruben Rodriguez. Alfonso and Rodriguez were both armed with handguns. A dispute and subsequent struggle between Alfonso and Aquiles occurred during the transaction, and Alfonso shot the employee as he attempted to run from the car wash.
Alfonso was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on May 10, 2017. A search of his Manchester residence on that date revealed cocaine residue on a toilet seat, cocaine, and crack cocaine residue in another part of home, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Alfonso pleaded guilty to drug and firearm offenses and, on March 22, 2019, he was sentenced to 153 months of imprisonment for both offenses, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
Rodriguez was arrested on September 27, 2017. On that date, a search of his Meriden residence and vehicle revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol, numerous rounds of ammunition, approximately 133 grams of heroin, approximately 170 grams of cocaine, and $61,909 in cash. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to drug and firearm offenses and, on March 21, 2019, was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment.
Aquiles, who was on state parole with the state of Connecticut in December 2016, absconded in January 2018 and remained a fugitive until he was arrested in New York in August 2022. On April 18, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. He is currently detained in state custody.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel and Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AARON CHRISTIAN, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense that followed a gang-related shootout.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, after an unidentified shooter, who is suspected of being a member of a rival gang, opened fire at individuals who were standing in a parking lot outside of a memorial gathering in Hartford, surveillance cameras at the location recorded at least nine individuals drawing firearms, and some of them returned fire. Shot Spotter technology recorded approximately 50 shots fired within approximately 90 seconds in and around the location, and law enforcement recovered at least 31 shell casings from the scene. It is alleged that Christian was present at the memorial gathering and was recorded on video firing at the fleeing assailant.
Following the shooting, Hartford Police obtained a warrant for Christian’s arrest. On July 14, 2022, officers encountered Christian standing with others outside of a smoke shop located at 390 Franklin Avenue in Hartford. As officers approached, Christian fled and attempted to throw a handgun onto the roof of the business. The gun struck the awning of the business and fell to the sidewalk. Christian was apprehended and officers recovered a loaded Ruger Model LCP .380 pistol from the sidewalk.
Christian’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug, larceny and threatening 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.
Christian has been detained since his arrest. On July 14, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
State charges against Christian related to his alleged conduct on April 18, 2022 are pending.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Robert S. Dearington
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Hartford State Attorney’s Offices for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Architect of Stamford Jewelry Store Robbery that Resulted in Owner’s Murder Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS LIBERATORE, 66, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 384 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from the robbery of Marco Jewelers in Stamford in March 2020. During the robbery, the owner of Marco Jewelers was shot and killed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2020, at approximately 2:48 p.m., Stamford Police Officers responded to Marco Jewelers, located at 16 Sixth Street in Stamford. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a robbery and encountered the storeowner, Mark Vuono, lying on the ground in front of an open safe. Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced Vuono deceased.
Investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from Marco Jewelers, surrounding businesses and Stamford city cameras. Video obtained from Marco Jewelers revealed that, on March 28, 2020, Paul Prosano drove Robert Rallo and Liberatore in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers. Rallo and Liberatore then entered the store. Rallo, armed with a handgun, engaged in a physical altercation with Vuono, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases. Vuono, who also possessed a firearm, and Rallo struggled next to a large open safe. During the more than three-minute struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver. Rallo subsequently shot and killed Vuono with the .357 revolver.
Between $360,000 and $430,000 worth of jewelry was stolen during the robbery.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle. On March 31, 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a black BMW X3, driven by Prosano, pulled up beside the black Jaguar. Rallo exited the rear door of the BMW and entered the driver’s door of a black Jaguar. The two vehicles then left the area and rapidly accelerated. The Jaguar crashed on Tompkins Street. Rallo attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended. The BMW crashed into a tree and parked car at the intersection of Daniel Low Terrace and Corson Avenue. Prosano also attempted to flee and was apprehended.
A search of the BMW revealed 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring and a cufflink, and a search of Prosano’s residence revealed 23 pairs of earrings and three rings. These items were stolen from Marco Jewelers.
Liberatore has been detained since his arrest on April 1, 2020. On December 19, 2022, a jury found Liberatore and Prosano guilty of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and interstate transportation of stolen property. Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. The trial evidence established that Liberatore, who formerly resided in Stamford, orchestrated the robbery of Marco Jewelers.
Liberatore has a lengthy criminal history, and he served a total of approximately 30 years in prison prior to the Marco Jewelers and the murder of Mark Vuono. He met Rallo and Prosano while incarcerated within the New York State Department of Corrections.
On April 5, 2022, Rallo pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, interstate transportation of stolen property, and using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. On March 1, 2023, he was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.
On July 5, 2023, Prosano was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stamford Police Department and Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, Yonkers (N.Y.) Police Department and New Rochelle (N.Y.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale and Margaret Donovan.
Superseding Indictment Charges Fugitive with Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DELROY ANDERSON, also known as “Max,” 56, formerly of Stamford, appeared yesterday in New Haven federal court for his arraignment on money laundering offenses contained in a superseding indictment. Anderson entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
As alleged in the superseding indictment, which was returned by a grand jury in Bridgeport on July 6, 2022, for approximately five years, Anderson conspired with others to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from a marijuana trafficking operation by paying for marijuana cultivation, package shipping, electricity, and air travel expenses with the proceeds. He also deposited the drug trafficking proceeds into multiple bank accounts opened in the name of Maximillion Enterprises Inc., and structured deposits to evade reporting requirements under federal law.
In February 2020, Anderson was charged, with alleged co-conspirators Kelvin Jackson and Stephanie Atkinson, by indictment with various money laundering offenses. On February 18, 2022, Anderson, who had been released on bond pending trial, was scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for a guilty plea proceeding. He failed to appear for that court proceeding and ceased contact with his attorney and the U.S. Probation Office.
On November 8, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service located and arrested Anderson in Dallas, Texas. He has been detained since his arrest.
The superseding indictment charges Anderson with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, three counts of promotional money laundering, two counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of structuring money laundering. If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jackson, 54, of Bristol, Virginia, and Atkinson, 45, of Stamford, have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys and David T. Huang and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Settlement with Hamden/North Haven YMCA Ensures Access to Programs for Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the United States and the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA have entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that staff at one of its branches, the Hamden/North Haven YMCA, discriminated against a child with Down syndrome in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”).
This matter was initiated by a complaint made with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a child with Down syndrome who requires toileting assistance. The complaint claimed that staff at the Hamden/North Hamden YMCA did not provide reasonable modifications to allow the child to enjoy the full benefits of the before-school program and did not allow the child to enroll in the after-school program until and unless the child’s family found and, if necessary, paid for a personal aide to accompany the child.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Hamden/North Haven YMCA has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future. It will implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA and that include obligations to conduct an individualized assessment of each child’s needs and engage in a back-and-forth interactive process with parents, guardians, and caregivers about a child’s needs. The Hamden/North Haven YMCA will also provide training to its staff on the ADA.
In addition, working with the Hamden Special Education Parents Teacher Association, the Hamden North Haven YMCA has also agreed to conduct outreach to parents, guardians, and caregivers of children with disabilities in the Hamden community, including making reasonable efforts to reach those who do not speak English as their primary language. The Hamden/North Haven YMCA will also designate an ADA coordinator, who will be responsible for reviewing requests for reasonable modifications and ensuring that proper communication occurs between the YMCA staff and parents, guardians, caregivers, and school personnel about the needs of each child with a disability enrolled in its programs.
The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA has also agreed to pay $3,000 to the individual who complained and to allow the complainant’s child to enroll in the before- and after-school programs in future with appropriate reasonable modifications, if needed.
“Families depend on childcare so that they can go to work and earn a living to support their families,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This includes finding appropriate childcare for children with disabilities. My office is committed to ensuring that every child’s family has equal access to childcare in Connecticut. I want to thank the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA and the Hamden/North Haven YMCA for signing this settlement agreement, which signals their commitment to serving children with disabilities and their families in the future.”
The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Farmington Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DENIS MURTIC, 38, of Farmington, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offenses. Judge Williams also ordered Murtic to pay a $25,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force launched an investigation of Murtic for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. On September 3, 2020, a court-authorized search of an apartment on Grafton Street in Hartford apartment connected to Murtic revealed thousands of wax folds of fentanyl, more than 700 grams of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for distribution.
On October 18, 2021, investigators made a controlled purchase of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from Murtic and Alexander Rodriguez at a parking lot in East Hartford. After the transaction, investigators observed Murtic and Rodriguez travel to an apartment on Wakefield Circle in East Hartford. On October 26, 2021, Murtic, Rodriguez, and Efrain Rosario were arrested at the apartment, which was being used as a narcotics processing and packaging mill. A search of the apartment revealed more than 40,000 glassine bags and wax folds of fentanyl, approximately 1.7 kilograms of loose fentanyl, two compressed bricks of cocaine weighing a total of approximately 1.5 kilograms, and numerous narcotics processing and packaging items, including a kilogram press.
A related search of Murtic’s business resulted in the seizure of a .22 caliber handgun and ammunition. Analysis of Murtic’s phone revealed numerous texts and images involving Murtic’s illegal acquisition of other firearms.
Murtic has been detained since his arrest. On January 20, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Rodriguez, of East Windsor, and Rosario, of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
New Britain Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Cash and Cigarettes in Month-Long Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GILBERTO DELEON, 57, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 34 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing eight robberies of convenience stores and smoke shops in Connecticut in 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 27 and March 16, 2022, Deleon and two associates, using BB guns that are designed to appear similar to real firearms, robbed the following retail locations of cash, cigarettes and other items:
- February 27 – Scott’s Village Mobil Gas Station, 843 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
- March 2 – Mystic Mobil Gas Station, 66 Whitehall Avenue, Mystic
- March 3 – Shell Gas Station, 168 Bridge Street, East Windsor
- March 3 – Food Bag, 960 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, Southington
- March 5 – Valero Gas Station, 1 Main Street, Ellington
- March 5 – Sunoco Gas Station, 446 Bloomfield Avenue, Windsor
- March 8 – Smoker’s Discount World, 636 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield
- March 16 – Cove Smoke Market, located at 841 Cove Road, Stamford
During the robbery in Farmington on February 27, 2022, Deleon, who was serving as a “lookout,” took a banana off of the counter. When he exited the store, surveillance cameras recorded Deleon peeling and eating the banana, and then disposing the banana peel in a receptacle near the gas pumps. Investigators seized the banana peel and submitted it laboratory testing, which returned a match for Deleon’s DNA.
Deleon has been detained since his arrest on April 19, 2022. On October 18, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery.Steven Galarza, of Seymour, and Efrain Deleon, of New Britain, also participated in these robberies and pleaded guilty to related charges. On July 20, 2023, Galarza, who also committed three additional robberies in Connecticut, New York, and New Hampshire, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment. Efrain Deleon awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and the Farmington, Stonington, East Windsor, Southington, Windsor, Wethersfield, Stamford, New Britain, Salem (N.H.), and Somers (N.Y.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Commodities Trading Company Agrees to Pay over $98M to Resolve Foreign Bribery CaseRead the Press Release
Freepoint Commodities LLC (Freepoint), a commodities trading company based in Stamford, Connecticut, has agreed to pay over $98 million to resolve an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) stemming from the company’s involvement in a corrupt scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian government officials.
Freepoint has also agreed to disgorge more than $7.6 million to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in a related matter.
“As today’s resolution demonstrates, the Criminal Division remains resolute in our fight against bribery and corruption,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our dedicated prosecutors are working tirelessly to hold both corporations and culpable individuals to account. Let this case also send a reminder that our policies offer the greatest benefits to companies that are proactive and act with urgency.”
According to court documents, Freepoint entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the department in connection with a criminal information filed in the District of Connecticut. The information charges the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provision of the FCPA for its scheme to pay bribes to Brazilian government officials to secure business with Brazil’s state-owned and state-controlled oil company, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (Petrobras).
“This office and our federal law enforcement partners are keeping a watchful eye on those not only involved in the financial industry, but all U.S. businesses that operate overseas, to ensure that they are complying with our nation’s laws,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This hefty financial sanction and deferred prosecution agreement should both serve as a deterrent to illegal conduct in the U.S. and abroad, and as a reminder that the Justice Department incentivizes those who report illegal conduct and work with us to correct wrongdoing.”
Between approximately 2012 and 2018, Freepoint and its co-conspirators paid bribes to Petrobras officials in exchange for confidential information about pricing and bids submitted by Freepoint’s competitors. Freepoint and its co-conspirators concealed the scheme by communicating using code words and encrypted messaging applications, engaging in sham negotiations, and funneling the bribes through an intermediary who used offshore bank accounts and shell companies. Freepoint earned over $30 million in profits in connection with the scheme.
“This case exemplifies the FBI’s relentless fight against corruption and our commitment to holding companies accountable for criminal business practices,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI, along with our domestic and international partners, will continue to aggressively combat these crimes and work to level the playing field of the global marketplace.”
“This resolution and the indictment of three individuals demonstrate the commitment by the FBI and the Justice Department to holding accountable both corrupt companies and actors — wherever they are — for their illicit business activity,” said Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Our tireless work with partners around the globe ensures that businesses earn their contracts and that consumers are protected from inflated prices.”
Pursuant to the DPA, Freepoint has agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $68 million and administrative forfeiture in the amount of $30,551,150. Freepoint has also agreed to continue cooperating with the department in any ongoing or future criminal investigation relating to this conduct. The department will credit up to one-third of the criminal penalty against amounts that Freepoint pays to resolve an investigation by law enforcement authorities in Brazil for related conduct. The department will also credit up to 25% of the forfeiture amount against disgorgement that Freepoint pays the CFTC in a related matter.
The department reached this resolution with Freepoint based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. Freepoint received credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included (i) promptly and thoroughly responding to requests by the department by producing and summarizing relevant documents and other information; (ii) engaging in significant efforts to aggregate and analyze complex financial information and trade data for more than 4,000 transactions; (iii) making company officers and employees available for interviews, and arranging separate counsel where appropriate; (iv) providing all relevant facts known to it, including information about the individuals involved in the conduct. However, in the initial phases, Freepoint’s cooperation was limited in degree and impact, and largely reactive.
Freepoint also engaged in remedial measures, including: (i) conducting an analysis of the causes of the underlying conduct and undertaking appropriate remediation to address those root causes and taking additional steps to improve its compliance program, including by retaining an advisory firm to evaluate its third-party compliance program; (ii) overhauling its third-party compliance and risk management program, including through the implementation of enhanced risk-based due diligence, screening, ongoing monitoring and oversight procedures, and the implementation of FCPA training for third-party agents; (iii) reducing the use of third-party intermediaries; (iv) implementing a global agent onboarding and tracking procedure; (v) strengthening its corporate governance and risk management structures, including through the utilization of data and metrics to evaluate risk, enhancing the independence and stature of its compliance function, and hiring additional, experienced compliance personnel; (vi) updating the company’s global anti-bribery and corruption policy to include FCPA red flags; (vii) implementing a process for reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct; and (viii) conducting testing of its third-party compliance program.
In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 15% reduction off the bottom of the applicable guidelines fine range.
The department has recently charged three individuals in relation to Freepoint’s bribery scheme, including:
- Glenn Oztemel, who allegedly worked as a senior oil trader at Freepoint and caused Freepoint to make corrupt payments to an intermediary, which were disguised as purported consulting fees and commissions, and which were used to pay bribes to Petrobras officials.
- Gary Oztemel, the brother of Glenn Oztemel, who allegedly used his company Oil Trade & Transport S.A. to corruptly assist Freepoint in obtaining or retaining business in Brazil.
- Eduardo Innecco, who worked as an agent for Freepoint and received purported consulting fees and commissions that he allegedly used to pay bribes to Petrobras officials on behalf of Freepoint.
The case against Glenn Oztemel, Gary Oztemel, and Eduardo Innecco is pending.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s International Corruption Unit.
Trial Attorneys Allison L. McGuire and Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McGarry for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York also provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Brazil, Latvia, Switzerland, and Uruguay provided assistance in the matter.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DPA InformationBridgeport Man Who Trafficked Cocaine Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS CEPEDA, also known as “Doogie,” 35, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Connecticut State Police determined that a drug trafficking organization headed by Landdy Rodriguez, also known as “Oso,” was obtaining kilogram-quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico. In the summer of 2021, investigators also intercepted phone calls during which Reinaldo Colon Oliveras, while incarcerated in a federal prison in Atlanta and using a smuggled cell phone, arranging the shipment of cocaine to Rodriguez and his associate, Thomas Marra. Rodriguez and Marra further distributed the drug to a network of associates.
During the investigation, Rodriguez also directed his cousin, Jaime Rodriguez, to deliver to him five kilograms of cocaine from Florida. Landdy Rodriguez was also supplied with cocaine from Salvador Crespo, who ran an underground bar in Bridgeport.
The investigation further revealed that Landdy Rodriguez facilitated multiple transactions of fentanyl.
On August 27, 2021, Cepeda purchased 400 grams of cocaine from Landdy Rodriguez and Crespo.
Cepeda was arrested on October 26, 2021. A search of Cepeda’s residence on that date revealed approximately 210 grams of cocaine and 84 grams of crack cocaine.
Cepeda has been detained since his arrest. On December 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Landdy Rodriguez, Colon, Marra, Jaime Rodriguez, and Crespo pleaded guilty to related charges and have been sentenced.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Waterbury Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Milford, Norwalk, Stamford and Stratford Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth L. Gresham, John T. Pierpont, Jr., and Brendan J. Keefe through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDEN HUERTAS, 42, formerly of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 75 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2020, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Huertas. Huertas was arrested on February 26, 2020, after a search of his vehicle revealed quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy, and a subsequent search of his residence revealed additional quantities of crack and heroin, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, a loaded 9mm Taurus PT-92C semi-automatic handgun, and additional rounds of ammunition.
Huertas has a criminal history that spans 25 years and includes state convictions for drug, weapon, robbery, burglary and larceny offenses, and federal convictions in 2015 for possession of firearm by a felon, and in 2019 for escape from custody. Huertas was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest in January 2020.
On April 26, 2021, Huertas pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession a firearm by a felon.
In April 2022, Huertas’ sentencing was continued to allow him to continue drug and mental health treatment, and it was subsequently again continued after Huertas was admitted to Support Court.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 19, 2023, Huertas is suspected of being involved in a homicide of a 20-year-old man in South Carolina.
On July 10, 2023, law enforcement investigating attempted burglaries in Danbury on July 8 and in Southington on July 9 traced a vehicle used in the burglaries to a hotel in Danbury. It is alleged that investigators located Huertas and another individual within a room identified as belonging to the operators of the vehicle. As officers attempted to take the two men into custody, they both ran. Huertas’ associate began fighting with officers, resulting in two of the officers being transported to the hospital for injuries. Huertas and his associate were apprehended a short time later. A search of the hotel room revealed two firearms, including an assault-type rifle and a pistol.
Huertas has been detained in Connecticut state custody since July 10. State charges against him in South Carolina and Connecticut are pending.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, and Bridgeport Police Department, with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department and the Horry County (S.C.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KARLIS MANSON, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing controlled substances.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Hartford Police Department conducted an investigation of a business located at 136 Barbour Street in Hartford that was suspected of trafficking narcotics. The business, a purported clothing store, had an awning that read “The HOLE Ex-Con 360 the movement.” In October 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of marijuana from the store.
On October 5, 2022, Manson and others were in the store when investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the store and seized quantities of suspected crack cocaine, psychedelic mushrooms, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, synthetic opioid films, fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, MDMA, drug packaging and processing materials, U.S. currency, and five handguns. Manson, who was found in possession of distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine, and approximately $1,000 in cash, was arrested at that time. After a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in Manson’s vehicle, which was parked outside the store, a search of the vehicle revealed approximately 400 grams of cocaine, 10 pounds of marijuana, and $8,200 in cash.
Also on October 5, 2022, investigators searched a U-Haul storage facility in Plainville, which was rented under the name of a Manson relative, and found documents connected to Manson, a large duffle bag containing approximately 28 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags, a suitcase containing approximately 12 pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags, and approximately two pounds of phenacetin, which is used as a cutting agent for narcotics.
Investigators also seized a safe containing six firearms, and a duffel bag containing approximately 25 pounds of marijuana, from a Vernon residence where Manson had stored the items.
On September 7, 2023, Manson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Manson, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 17, 2024.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and Brendan J. Keefe.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing 3 Connecticut men in 2015Read the Press Release
EDWARD MICHAEL PARKS, also known as “Lee” and “Trouble,” 37, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to three consecutive life sentences for federal offenses related to his kidnapping and murdering of two individuals in Hamden, and his killing of a third man in New Haven to stop him from notifying law enforcement.
Today’s announcement was made by United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, New Haven State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hamden Police Chief Edward Page Reynolds, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to the evidence presented during his trial, on November 16, 2015, Parks was in an apartment on Shelton Avenue in New Haven to conduct an illegal sale of firearms. Damian Connor and Tamar Lawrence were also present in the apartment. When another individual left the apartment with firearms that he had not paid for, Parks, who was armed, held Connor and Lawrence against their will. Parks collected money and valuables from Connor and Lawrence, and then forced them to travel in Connor’s car to Hamden where Connor said he could get more money. They were followed in another vehicle by Devante Williams and another individual. After the vehicles arrived at 676 Mix Avenue in Hamden, Parks shot and killed Connor and Lawrence. Parks then left the scene with Williams and others in the second vehicle and returned to New Haven.
When Parks perceived Williams as being anxious about the murders of Connor and Lawrence, Parks shot and killed Williams in the area of Sherman Court in New Haven.
On January 19, 2023, Parks was found guilty of two counts of kidnapping resulting in death, and one count of witness tampering by killing.
“This is a necessary and appropriate sentence that provides justice for the victims and their loved ones, and will protect society from a ruthless killer,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Our office prioritizes the prosecution of those who illegally traffic, possess, and use guns, which wreaks havoc in our communities, especially our cities. I thank our partners in the FBI, Hamden Police Department, New Haven Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office for their dedicated and collaborative efforts in this critically important investigation.”
“Today’s sentence is appropriate for the level of violence and murder this individual was responsible for while on our streets,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fuller. “It is our sincere hope that this sentence brings the victim’s families one step closer to some degree of closure.”
“The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office, the FBI, and the Hamden and New Haven Police Departments for their work in this case,” said New Haven State’s Attorney Doyle. “This sentencing reflects that strong partnerships between law enforcement are invaluable in the pursuit of justice for victims and their grieving families. We look forward to this continued collaboration as we all strive each day to make our communities in greater New Haven safer.”
“I hope and pray that the families of these victims will be able to find some closure and peace,” said Hamden Police Chief Reynolds. “I thank and commend Hamden Sergeant Jomo Crawford, New Haven Assistant Chief Bertram Ettienne, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the New Haven State’s Attorney Office including now Chief State’s Attorney Pat Griffin and current New Haven State’s Attorney Jack Doyle, Raleigh Detective I.O. Smith, and so many other law enforcement partners who assisted. I would also like to thank the Hamden and New Haven communities who worked with law enforcement to provide valuable information pertaining to these three homicides. This case demonstrated that by successful collaboration at the highest level and working together we were able to get a violent individual off the streets.”
“The New Haven Police Department is extremely grateful to our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s office, FBI, DEA, ATF, and the State’s Attorney’s office,” said New Haven Police Chief Jacobson. “A case like this cannot be brought to justice without this collaboration. I also want to thank then Detective and now Assistant Chief Bertram Ettienne, who was the NHPD lead, and then Detective Jomo Crawford, who is now Sergeant Crawford. These two and this team committed themselves to justice for the three victims. This shows a strong resolve to help stop the violence in our cities.”
Parks has been in custody since January 2016 and was previously convicted of federal drug and firearm offenses in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hamden Police Department and New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and A. Reed Durham, and Assistant State’s Attorney Seth Garbarsky, who was cross-designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.
Indictment Charges Mexican National with Illegally Reentering U.S. after DeportationRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CARLOS FERNANDEZ-BARRITOS, also known as “Ricardo Fernandez,” 30, a citizen of Mexico formerly residing in East Hartford, has been charged by indictment with illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on December 11, 2014, Fernandez was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to approximately 14 months of imprisonment, time already served, for his role in a narcotics trafficking ring. Fernandez was deported and removed from the U.S. to Mexico in January 2015.
It is further alleged that Fernandez subsequently illegally reentered the U.S. On November 4, 2022, Fernandez was arrested by Hartford Police for disorderly conduct, threatening, assault in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, and interfering with police. He was released on a $20,000 bond shortly thereafter. On March 15, 2023, the East Hartford Police Department responded to a report that Fernandez had stabbed his domestic partner. Fernandez fled before police arrived, and an arrest warrant charging him with assault in the second degree, violation of a restraining order, and disorderly conduct is still outstanding.
Fernandez has been detained since August 15, 2023, when he was arrested on federal criminal complaint charging him with illegally reentering the U.S. On November 20, 2023, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging him with the offense. Fernandez appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Fernandez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and 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 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Jessica Casey.
Man Who Called in Bomb Threat to Yale New Haven Hospital Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that ALEXANDER BRADLEY, 44, formerly of Cranston, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to an offense related to his threatening to bomb the Yale New Haven Hospital.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 9, 2021, Bradley called the Yale University Health Clinic, spoke to a nurse and asked if he had reached the Yale New Haven Hospital. When informed that he had not, Bradley, who refused to give his name, complained that he had been denied care at the Yale New Haven Hospital and stated that he was going to bomb the hospital. Approximately 30 minutes later, Bradley anonymously called the Yale New Haven Hospital and stated that he had placed a pressure cooker containing a bomb outside of the building. The call was a hoax, and Bradley had placed no such bomb outside the hospital.
The bomb threat disrupted hospital operations and required a significant response from the New Haven Police Department, Yale Police Department and Yale New Haven Protective Service. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force subsequently determined that the phone number used to make the threats was linked to Bradley. The investigation revealed that, less than three weeks after he made the bomb threat to Yale New Haven Hospital, he contacted a CVS pharmacy in Cranston, Rhode Island, and said that he was going to “shoot up” and “blow up” a hospital.
Bradley was arrested on April 28, 2022. On May 27, 2022, while released on bond and living in a residential treatment facility, Bradley removed his location monitoring bracelet and absconded. He has been detained since his rearrest on July 14, 2023.
Bradley pleaded guilty to conveying false information about explosives, and false information and hoaxes, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force – WMD and Bomb Squad. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Jessica Casey.
Former Danbury Couple Sentenced to Prison for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two former Danbury residents were sentenced today in New Haven federal court for firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer sentenced DARNELL MACON, Sr, 46, to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and KHARISMA BROOKS, 24, to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the evidence presented during their trial last year, on May 27, 2021, Macon and Brooks visited a federally licensed firearms dealer in Kent, Connecticut, where Macon possessed, and then Brooks purchased, a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In 2002, Macon was convicted in New York of two counts of assault in the first degree, and in 2003, he was convicted in New York of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
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.
On June 7, 2021, ATF special agents investigating the firearm purchase on May 27, and another firearm purchased by Brooks in Stratford on May 25, visited Macon’s and Brooks’ Danbury residence and recovered the two firearms, which were located in Macon’s bedroom closet.
On October 31, 2022, Macon was found guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and Brooks was found guilty of one count of aiding and abetting the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The jury found Brooks not guilty of one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
Macon and Brooks, who are released on bond and currently residing in Springfield, Massachusetts, are required to report to prison on January 15, 2024.
This investigation was conducted by ATF, with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and David J. Sheldon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bridgeport Teen Charged with 2 Gunpoint RobberiesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a four-count indictment charging DERRICK RIVERA, 19, of Bridgeport, with offenses related to two armed robberies of Bridgeport businesses.
As alleged in the indictment, on November 11, 2022, Rivera committed a gunpoint robbery of a barbershop located on Wood Avenue in Bridgeport, and, on November 25, 2022, Rivera robbed a restaurant located on Wade Street in Bridgeport. During the second robbery, Rivera discharged a firearm, injuring the owner of the restaurant.
The indictment charges Rivera with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years; and one count of discharging a firearm during a robbery, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 10 years.
The indictment was returned on November 28, 2023. Rivera appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
Rivera has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on November 25, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department, with the assistance of the Stratford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Windsor Locks Man Who Victimized Teens Through Snapchat Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUSTIN McKENNEY, 29, formerly of Windsor Locks, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in Court, in October 2021, Glastonbury Police began investigating the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by an individual she met on Snapchat. The investigation revealed that McKenney posed as a high school student on Snapchat. He began communicating with the minor victim in September 2021, and he subsequently enticed her to engage in sexual activity.
McKenney also used Snapchat to receive child pornography from three other minor females between the ages of 14 and 17.
McKenney has been detained since his arrest on March 17, 2022. On April 11, 2023, McKenney pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Glastonbury Police Department, the Windsor Locks Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, with the assistance of the Hudson (Mass.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Daniel E. Cummings.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Four Members of Violent Bridgeport Gang GuiltyRead the Press Release
On December 5, 2023, a federal jury in New Haven found KEISHAWN DONALD, 22; TREVON WRIGHT, also known as “Tre,” 22; ERIC HAYES, also known as “Heavyweight Champ,” 26; and TRAVON JONES, also known as “Budda,” 21, guilty of racketeering offenses related to their involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to the evidence presented during a month-long trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Donald, Wright, Hayes, and Jones have been members of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End.
East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
During the trial, the government presented evidence that:
- On January 30, 2018, Donald shot and killed Eric Heard, a.k.a. “Fetti,” a member and associate of the GHB/Hotz gang;
- On March 5, 2019, Hayes shot and killed Jerrell Gatewood;
- On July 12, 2019, Jones and another East End Member, Tyrone Moore, shot and killed Sean Warren, also known as “Kujoe,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On September 15, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Marquis Isreal, a.k.a. “Garf” or “Gbaby,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On October 17, 2019, Jones shot and attempted to kill Joshua Gilbert, a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On December 8, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Arvan Smith, a.k.a. “Arv Barkley,” an associate of the O.N.E. gang;
- On January 26, 2020, Wright shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang
The jury found Donald, Wright, Hayes, and Jones guilty of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity. At sentencing, Donald, Wright, and Jones face a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Hayes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. All are detained pending sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that due to rising level of gun violence Bridgeport was experiencing, this wide-ranging investigation commenced in January 2020, shortly before the violence culminated on January 27, 2020, when GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members, in retaliation for the Myreke Kenion murder and D’Andre Brown shooting, attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a state courthouse on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport. After a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the courthouse, law enforcement and first responders discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a car.
Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have now been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has and solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.
“We believe that the investigation of these warring gangs and resulting prosecutions have had a significant and substantial impact on the violence being perpetrated in Bridgeport,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “In 2020 and 2021, when many other cities saw significant surges in gun violence, much of it caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and longstanding societal issues, Bridgeport saw a significant decrease in gun violence, with a 61 percent decline in gang-related homicides and a 59 percent decrease in gang shootings not resulting in death. Moreover, the gun violence, and particularly the gang related violence, has decreased from 2022 to 2023. While these statistics are encouraging, the amount of gun violence in our cities remains unacceptable and a top priority for our office and our federal partners. I thank all of the law enforcement officers who have contributed to these investigations, and commend and acknowledge the trial teams that are prosecuting these cases.”
“Every Connecticut resident, regardless of where they reside or their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class, should be able to feel safe in their community,” U.S. Attorney Avery continued. “No person, or group of people is entitled to wreak havoc by engaging in repeated acts of violence, instilling fear and trauma on the children and families who reside in our communities. Every life matters. We implore anyone engaged in, or planning to engage in, senseless violence like these defendants to reconsider so you don’t end up either killed or facing the prospect of wasting your life sitting in a federal prison.”
“The continuing cooperation between local, state, and federal officials in Bridgeport is a model of effective law enforcement,” said Fairfield Judicial District State’s Attorney Joseph T. Corradino. “The net result of these sustained efforts is a safer community for the people who live and work in the Greater Bridgeport area. We are committed to maintaining this successful long term relationship with our federal counterparts for the benefit of the people we serve.”
“The level of complexity involved in this long term investigation proved to be no match for our Connecticut professional law enforcement partners ability, skills and determination to bring about justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller. “We here in Connecticut have a unified partnership with local, state, and federal partners that is second to none in the country. Justice has been served.”
“Keishawn Donald, Trevon Wright, Eric Hayes and Travon Jones have been found guilty in federal court of gang related racketeering offenses, including murder and other violent crimes. Said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “The ATF alongside our local, state and federal partners remain dedicated to protecting the citizens of Bridgeport from violent gangs like the East End gang.”
“Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Drug dealers and street gangs value their own profits over human life, and are responsible for fueling drug addiction and much of the violent crimes across New England. These crimes hold law abiding citizens of Connecticut hostage to drug-fueled lawlessness. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state, and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
“On behalf of the City of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Police Department, I want to the thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of the federal law enforcement agencies for their continued support and partnership in helping to reduce violent crime in the City of Bridgeport and bringing those responsible for violence in our city to justice,” said Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The East End gang cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale, and Stephanie T. Levick
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Stamford Man Admits Theft of $800K from Trust AccountRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that CURTIS SOLSVIG, 69, of Stamford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to a fraud offense involving his misappropriation of funds from a trust.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a married couple (the “victims”) created a trust for the primary benefit of their two children. In 1996, Solsvig, a relative of the victims, began serving as trustee of the trust. Beginning in 2011 and continuing for approximately eight years, Solsvig stole more than $800,000 from the trust and used the funds for a variety of personal expenses. By the time his scheme concluded, less than $20 remained in the trust account.
Solsvig pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2024.
Solsvig is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor M. Reardon.
Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Robbing West Hartford BankRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JALANIA PANTANO, 28, formerly of Middletown, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for robbing a West Hartford bank last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 20, 2022, Pantano and her boyfriend, Gino Rizzo, entered the People’s United Bank located inside the Stop & Shop at 176 Newington Road in West Hartford and presented to two different tellers notes stating “Give us the money with no dye packs or GPS.” The tellers provided Pantano and Rizzo with approximately $1,599 in cash and they exited the bank and supermarket.
Rizzo, using notes demanding cash, had previously robbed People’s United Bank branches located in Stop & Shop supermarkets in Glastonbury on July 16, 2022, and in Newington on July 18, 2022.
Rizzo was arrested on July 21, 2022, and Pantano was arrested on August 30, 2022. On April 11, 2023, while on pre-trial release, Pantano and Rizzo each disconnected their GPS electronic monitoring bracelets and absconded from their court-mandated rehabilitation centers.
Pantano has been detained since her rearrest on May 24, 2023. On August 23, 2023, she pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
Rizzo has been detained since his rearrest on May 22, 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 25, 2023, and is awaiting sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Middletown, Glastonbury, Newington, and West Hartford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Robert S. Dearington.
Former Enfield Resident Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OCTAVIO RAZON-MEJIA, also known as “Pachas,” 37, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Enfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 28 months of imprisonment for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization, with ties to a Mexican drug cartel, operating in the area of Enfield, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of narcotics, revealed that Sergio Horta-Molina, of Suffield, arranged the shipment of cocaine and other narcotics to Connecticut, and then distributed the drugs to others, including Razon-Mejia who, in turn, sold the drugs to street-level traffickers and drug customers.
Razon-Mejia has been detained since his arrest on May 5, 2022. On August 8, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Razon-Mejia faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Horta-Molina pleaded guilty and, on June 6, 2023, he was sentenced to 94 months of imprisonment for both the offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the Enfield Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Naturalized U.S. Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Citizenship by Failing to Disclose Role in Abuse of PrisonersRead the Press Release
A naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and former resident of Connecticut, was arrested yesterday in Morgantown, West Virginia, on criminal charges related to allegations that she lied to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment, Nada Radovan Tomanic, 51, of West Virginia, allegedly served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the armed conflict in that country in the 1990s. Along with other Zulfikar Special Unit soldiers, Tomanic allegedly participated in the physical and mental abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, and membership in a particular social group. The indictment alleges that, when applying for naturalization, Tomanic falsely represented that she had not persecuted anyone because of their religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and had never committed a crime for which she had not been arrested.
“Nada Tomanic has enjoyed the privileges of U.S. citizenship for more than 10 years – privileges she allegedly obtained by lying to cover up human rights abuses she committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure that the United States does not serve as a safe haven for persecutors.”
“It is alleged that this defendant shielded her past abuse of human rights and repeatedly lied during the immigration and citizenship processes to gain entry into this country and become a U.S. citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “I thank our investigative partners both here and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for ignoring the passage of time to ensure that justice is done.”
“Nada Tomanic allegedly participated in the abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners and lied about it to the U.S. government decades later,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI, our international partners, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center are fervently committed to investigating human rights abuses no matter where or how long ago the atrocity occurred.”
Tomanic is charged with two counts of unlawful procurement of naturalization. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A conviction would also result in the automatic revocation of Tomanic’s U.S. citizenship.
The FBI is investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP historians. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or through the FBI’s online tip form at www.tips.fbi.gov/, or Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or through ICE’s online tip form at www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Naturalized U.S. Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Citizenship by Failing to Disclose Role in Abuse of PrisonersRead the Press Release
A naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina was arrested yesterday in Morgantown, West Virginia, on criminal charges related to allegations that she lied to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment, Nada Radovan Tomanic, 51, of West Virginia, allegedly served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the armed conflict in that country in the 1990s. Along with other Zulfikar Special Unit soldiers, Tomanic allegedly participated in the physical and mental abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, and membership in a particular social group. The indictment alleges that, when applying for naturalization, Tomanic falsely represented that she had not persecuted anyone because of their religion, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and had never committed a crime for which she had not been arrested.
“Nada Tomanic has enjoyed the privileges of U.S. citizenship for more than 10 years – privileges she allegedly obtained by lying to cover up human rights abuses she committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure that the United States does not serve as a safe haven for persecutors.”
“It is alleged that this defendant shielded her past abuse of human rights and repeatedly lied during the immigration and citizenship processes to gain entry into this country and become a U.S. citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “I thank our investigative partners both here and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for ignoring the passage of time to ensure that justice is done.”
“Nada Tomanic allegedly participated in the abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners and lied about it to the U.S. government decades later,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI, our international partners, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center are fervently committed to investigating human rights abuses no matter where or how long ago the atrocity occurred.”
Tomanic is charged with two counts of unlawful procurement of naturalization. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A conviction would also result in the automatic revocation of Tomanic’s U.S. citizenship.
The FBI is investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP historians. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or through the FBI’s online tip form at www.tips.fbi.gov/, or Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or through ICE’s online tip form at www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
15 Charged after FBI Task Force Investigation into Waterbury Drug Trafficking RingsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo today announced that the following 15 individuals have been charged with federal offenses stemming from the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl in and around Waterbury:
ANGEL QUIROS, aka “Papa John,” 34, Waterbury
DANIEL DIAZ-RIVERA, a.k.a. “Danny,” “Lupin,” “Lupito,” and “L,” 31, Waterbury
LUIS MUNOZ, aka “P.R.” and “Puerto Rico,” 39, Waterbury
LUIS CRUZ, aka “Fat Boy” and “Goldo,” 26, Waterbury
RICARDO VERDEJO, aka “Ricky,” 25, Waterbury
JOSE RINCON, aka “Mexico,” 42, Prospect
JESUS MALDONADO, aka “Zeus,” 34, Waterbury
CARMELO CANCEL, aka “Bebe,” 30, Waterbury
WILLIE REDD, 42, Naugatuck
TOMMY FIGUEROA, aka “Coco,” 30, Waterbury
JOSE DELROSARIO-CANELA, aka “Domi,” 38, Waterbury
MICHELLE MORALES-RIOS, 31, New Britain
AMBAR MORALES-RIVERA, aka “Gorda,” 34, Waterbury
NEYSA VAZQUEZ-FERRER, 33, Waterbury
OSCAR PENA-CRESPO, aka “Boti,” 28, WaterburyAs alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies have been conducting an investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury by drug organizations headed by Angel Quiros and Daniel Diaz-Rivera. The investigation, which has included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the Quiros and Diaz-Rivera organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. Munoz, Cruz, Verdejo, Maldonado, Rincon, and Redd distributed drugs within the Quiros organization, which was based out of the William Street area of Waterbury, and Figueroa, Pena-Crespo, Delrosario-Canela, and Morales-Rios, distributed drugs within the Diaz-Rivera organization, which was based out of the Maple Avenue area of Waterbury. Morales-Rios, Vazquez-Ferrer, and Morales-Rivera packaged and stored narcotics. Carmelo Cancel supplied both organizations with narcotics, and investigators identified additional overlap between the two organizations.
Fourteen of the defendants were arrested yesterday on criminal complaints, and Figueroa is currently detained in state custody. An additional five individuals were arrested on state charges. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
“We and our federal law enforcement partners continue our work with Waterbury Police to stifle the flow of dangerous narcotics into and around Waterbury, and federally prosecute those responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I thank the members of the FBI Task Force and all the agencies involved in this investigation and who assisted with today’s arrests. Their work is saving lives and making our communities safer.”
“The FBI Joint Task Force execution of several search and arrest warrants in various locations in and around Waterbury concluded without incident or physical harm to anyone within those communities, and stolen firearms, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and cash were among the items seized,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fuller. “The individuals responsible for violating the law will now have to face the consequences of their actions and risk to Connecticut residents. We would like to thank all our incredible law enforcement partners for great collaboration and making Connecticut a bit safer today.”
“The culmination of this investigation has addressed many issues tied to drug activity and violence in our City,” said Chief Spagnolo. “We are grateful for our partnerships with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The continued support we receive from our federal partners makes our community safer.”
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department are assisting the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Patrick Doherty through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
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Superseding Indictment Charges 3 More for Involvement in Scheme to Steal and Sell Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that four men have been charged with federal offenses related to their participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
On November 14, 2023, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an eight-count superseding indictment charging ALEXANDER KOLITSAS, 29, of Wolcott; YANQUEE RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Yankster Rodriguez,” 27, of West Hartford; MERVIN FIGUEROA, 26, of New Haven; and MICHAEL ALMODOVAR, also known as “Eme ElColorado,” 30, of New Haven. Kolitsas and four other men were originally charged by indictment in August 2022.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement continues to investigate the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The superseding indictment alleges that Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford. At Downpipe Depot, Kolitsas and a co-conspirator purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of suppliers, including Rodriguez, Figueroa, and Almodovar. Kolitsas and his associate instructed their suppliers on the types of catalytic converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale. Kolitsas and his associate then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.
The superseding indictment further alleges that Kolitsas and his associate acquired and maintained firearms as Kolitsas’s residence and Downpipe Depot’s warehouse.
The superseding indictment charges Kolitsas, Rodriguez, Figueroa, and Almodovar with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with one or more counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The superseding indictment also charges Kolitsas with one count of promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, for using proceeds from the theft and sale of catalytic converters to purchase a Ford Transit Van. He also is charged with two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count, related to his using Downpipe Depot funds to make a payment to a Mercedes Benz dealership in Florida, and to purchase a home entertainment system. Kolitsas also is charged with one count of possession of firearms by an unlawful drug user or addict, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The superseding indictment seeks the forfeiture from Kolitsas of the Ford Transit Van, a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2016 Polaris Slingshot, a 2022 Toyota Supra, approximately $55,000 in cash, and $92,581 that is held in a Downpipe Depot bank account.
Rodriguez and Figueroa were arrested on November 15, 2023, and Almodovar surrendered to law enforcement yesterday. As alleged in statements made in court, during one incident, while Almodovar was in the process of stealing a catalytic converter from a car parked in a parking lot, he was interrupted by a witness, who used his cellphone take pictures of Almodovar. Almodovar attacked the witness, smashed his car window, cut him with the saw he used to steal the converter, and then fled. As alleged in the indictment, the day after this incident, Almodovar sold six converters to Downpipe Depot in exchange for $2,180.
Each of the four defendants entered pleas of not guilty and are released on bond pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Four other individuals have been convicted of federal charges stemming from this investigation, which is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENNETH JOYNER, 33, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to firearm and drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2022, Bridgeport Police stopped Joyner’s car for motor vehicle violations. Joyner was arrested after he was found in possession of a loaded Polymer P80 9mm semi-automatic pistol (“ghost gun”) and several bags of marijuana that he intended to sell. A subsequent search of Joyner’s residence revealed a loaded Ruger P95 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, marijuana that Joyner intended to sell, and drug paraphernalia.
Joyner pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on February 22, 2024, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Joyner has been detained since his federal arrest on April 13, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen L. Peck through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHADDIEL FERRER, 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department determined that Ferrer was the primary runner for a drug trafficking organization that was coordinating the shipment of parcels containing kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico. Ferrer regularly picked up parcels of cocaine that were mailed to the Waterbury area and then delivered them to an associate. A total of approximately 18 kilograms of cocaine were seized during the investigation.
Ferrer was arrested on state charges on October 20, 2022. On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of three locations in Waterbury and seized approximately six kilograms of cocaine; nine firearms, including an AR-15 rifle; high-capacity magazines and numerous rounds of ammunition; and $132,365 in cash.
On June 1, 2023, Ferrer pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Ferrer, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison by January 16, 2024.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force (“NBCTTF”) and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police Violent Crimes Task Force. The NBCTTF includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Natasha M. Freismuth.
New Haven Man Admits Illegal Possession of 2 Handguns, Including One Converted to a Machine GunRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DUAYNE NELSON, 31, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 14, 2022, Nelson was arrested in West Haven after he was found with a Taurus G3C 9mm handgun with 12-round magazine, and a Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a 13-round extended magazine and fitted with a “sear switch” that made the gun fully automatic.
Nelson’s criminal history included state convictions for criminal weapon possession and robbery in the second degree. 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.
Nelson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on February 20, 2024, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Nelson is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the West Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Indictments Charge 4 Waterbury Men with Firearm and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo today announced that as part of a coordinated law enforcement effort to address an uptick in gun violence in Waterbury, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has adopted for federal prosecution the state cases of four Waterbury men charged with gun crimes.
On October 24, 2023, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned the following indictments:
ANFERNEE D. DANCY, 27, of Waterbury, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. As alleged in the indictment, on August 22, 2023, Dancy possessed a Jimenez Arms, Inc. 9mm handgun. It is further alleged that Dancy’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for burglary in the first degree, risk of injury to a child, and failure to appear in the first degree.
ALEXIS JOEL ANGUEIRA, 23, of Waterbury, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. It is alleged that, on September 15, 2022, Angueira possessed fentanyl and cocaine that he intended to distribute, a loaded privately made firearm (ghost gun), and additional rounds of ammunition. It is further alleged that Angueira’s criminal history includes felony convictions for assault in the first degree and carrying a pistol without a permit.
MELQUAWN JAMISON, 25, of Waterbury, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As alleged in the indictment, on August 23, 2023, Jamison possessed cocaine and fentanyl that he intended to distribute, a Ruger SR .45 caliber handgun, and a Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun. It is further alleged that Jamison’s criminal history includes felony convictions for sale of narcotics, escape in the first degree, burglary in the third degree, and larceny in the first degree.
GLENN JAMISON, 42, of Waterbury, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As alleged in the indictment, on July 24, 2023, Jamison possessed cocaine and fentanyl that he intended to distribute, and a Taurus Arms G2C handgun. It is further alleged that Jamison’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony firearm, drug, assault, larceny, escape, and failure to appear offenses; a federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; and that he was on federal supervised release at the time of this offense.
Glenn Jamison appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Dancy, Angueira, and Melquawn Jamison were previously arraigned and also pleaded not guilty. All four defendants are currently detained pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Mahard, Konstantin Lantsman, and Natasha Freismuth through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Federal Jury Finds 2 Members of Violent Bridgeport Gang Guilty of Racketeering OffensesRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Bridgeport has found JOSHUA GILBERT, also known as “Lor Heavy,” 22, and LORENZO CARTER, also known as “Zo,” 29, guilty of racketeering offenses related to their involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang. The trial before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley began on October 18 and the jury returned the guilty verdicts yesterday.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and the evidence presented during the trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Gilbert and Carter were members of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes. They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.
On August 9, 2018, O.N.E. members stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport. In the following days, O.N.E. members conspired to use the car to kill rival gang members and their allies who they had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport. Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Carter and other O.N.E. members drove the stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union Avenues in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival gang member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car. After the shooting, Carter and other O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Well State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.
In November 2019, O.N.E. members stole a Lexus Rx350 from Rye, New York. In early December 2019, O.N.E. members were involved in multiple shots-fired incidents in Bridgeport. In one incident, the mother of rival gang members was shot outside of her Bridgeport home. In another incident, on December 8, 2019, O.N.E. members used the stolen Lexus in a shooting incident at the P.T. Barnum Housing Complex, damaging several cars, and then drove it to Newfield Avenue in Bridgeport where Gilbert and other O.N.E. members shot and killed Ty’Quess Moore, also known as “Breezo,” 18.
Gilbert and Carter, along with other O.N.E. members, posted videos to social media in which they and others brandished firearms, celebrated violent gang culture, and referenced rivals who were killed.
The jury found Gilbert and Carter guilty of racketeering conspiracy. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, they each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Gilbert and Carter have been detained since July 2021.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the police departments from Norwalk, Stamford, Fairfield, Stratford, Ansonia, Monroe, Eastchester (N.Y.), Rye (N.Y.), and Newburgh (N.Y.). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Tara E. Levens, and Patrick J. Doherty.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state, and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Former Enfield Resident Sentenced to 25 Months in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUAN SANCHEZ-RAZON, also known as “Juanito,” 29, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Enfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 25 months of imprisonment for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization, with ties to a Mexican drug cartel, operating in the area of Enfield, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of narcotics, revealed that Sergio Horta-Molina, of Suffield, arranged the shipment of cocaine and other narcotics to Connecticut, and then distributed the drugs to other members of the organization who, in turn, sold the drugs to street-level traffickers and drug customers.
During the investigation, Horta-Molina arranged the shipment of a package from California to Sanchez-Razon’s residence in Enfield. On April 27, 2022, Sanchez-Razon delivered the package to another individual. Law enforcement subsequently stopped that individual as he was attempting to deliver the package to Horta-Molina. A search of the package revealed a kilogram of cocaine.
On May 5, 2022, a search of Sanchez-Razon’s residence revealed approximately 100 grams of cocaine and approximately $7,000 in cash.
Sanchez-Razon has been detained since his arrest on June 21, 2022. On March 3, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Sanchez-Razon faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Horta-Molina pleaded guilty and, on June 6, 2023, he was sentenced to 94 months of imprisonment for both the offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the Enfield Police Department. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Bridgeport Gun Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAQUAN LAMONT WRIGHT, 26, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing and selling firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Wright was illegally selling firearms without a license. In January and February 2023, investigators made three controlled purchases of handguns from Wright. One of the handguns had been reported stolen in North Carolina. During the investigation, Wright indicated that he possessed, and had access to, other firearms and firearm parts.
Wright was arrested on March 13, 2023. On that date, a search of his Bridgeport residence revealed a Glock Model 43 handgun, ammunition, and various gun parts.
Wright was previously convicted in state court of theft of a firearm, and possession with intent to sell narcotics. 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.
Wright has been detained since his arrest. On July 5, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Fairfield, and Stamford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Wilton Contractor Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that DAVID ANSPACH, 67, of Wilton, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to a tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Anspach operated a construction and remodeling business. During the course of a civil audit of Anspach’s tax return for the 2013 tax year, the IRS discovered that Anspach’s business receipts were underreported. Some of the underreported business receipts were subsequently accounted for as payments to workers, but in an effort to offset further receipts, Anspach provided false documents to a representative who had prepared Anspach’s tax return and was assisting him during the audit. The documents included fabricated letters and invoices intended to establish that Anspach had made payments to vendors beyond those reported on his tax return. Anspach’s representative provided the documents to the IRS.
Anspach pleaded guilty to one count of willfully delivering or disclosing to the IRS a false document, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on February 12, 2024.
Anspach is released on a $10,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Weston Man Charged with Fraud Offenses Related to $890K Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging CHARLES M. AMEER, 64, of Weston, with three counts of wire fraud stemming from an alleged embezzlement scheme.
The indictment was returned on November 8, 2023. Ameer appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. He has been released on a $500,000 bond since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on August 31, 2023.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 through 2022, Ameer was the Chief Financial Officer at Indeco North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indeco Ind. S.P.A, headquartered in Milford. In October 2017, Ameer created a $40,000 check, which was drafted on Indeco’s bank account and made payable to the order of “WSC.” Ameer then used the check to reimburse the Weston Soccer Club, located in Weston, for funds he had previously taken from the club without its permission or authority. Ameer subsequently created additional checks, in the total amount of $850,000, which were drafted on Indeco’s bank account and made payable to him. He deposited the checks into his personal bank account and used the funds for his own benefit.
If convicted, Ameer faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count of wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Avery 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 investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLYLE HENRY, 39, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a drug trafficking and firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statement made in court, shortly before midnight on October 12, 2022, Henry crashed his vehicle on a retaining wall on the Yale University campus. Carlyle was arrested after Yale Police found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and a bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine, packaged heroin and fentanyl, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Carlyle pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2024.
Carlyle has been detained since his arrest.
Henry’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearms possession and narcotics distribution offenses, and a federal narcotics conviction in 2006 for which he received a sentence of 50 months of imprisonment.
This case has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Yale Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
New Haven Felon Caught with Gun and Drugs Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAURICE MENAFEE, also known as “Mo,” 34, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 86 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the morning of February 9, 2022, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department Shooting Task Force observed a car involved in suspected drug transactions at the intersection of Baldwin Street and Davenport Avenue in New Haven, and then traveling recklessly at high rate of speed throughout the city. Investigators subsequently located the vehicle parked at a residence on Plymouth Street and identified the driver as Menafee. After Menafee was apprehended, a search of his person revealed $564 in cash and a search of the car revealed a Sig Sauer P238 .380 caliber pistol, 64 baggies of crack cocaine, and 116 wax folds of fentanyl.
Menafee’s criminal history includes state firearm and drug convictions. 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.
Menafee has been detained since his federal arrest on March 2, 2022. On January 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Boyles and Nathaniel J. Gentile.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former Stamford Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Stealing More Than $700K from ClientsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIAM McCULLOUGH, 63, of Westerly, Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing more than $700,000 from clients of his law practice.
According to court documents and statements made in court today, prior to his resignation from the Connecticut bar in March 2019, McCullough operated a law practice in Stamford for several years. As part of his practice, McCullough worked on real estate transactions for clients. In that capacity, McCullough received funds from clients and knew he was required to deposit those funds in an Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (“IOLTA Account”) and use them in accordance with his duties to each client. In March 2018, the Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee audited McCullough’s IOLTA Account and found that he had failed to maintain required documents for several years. The audit revealed that more than $1.27 million was due to clients, but the IOLTA Account held less than $600,000. A subsequent criminal investigation revealed that McCullough defrauded clients by using funds in his IOLTA Account to cover funds owed to others, and for his own use. McCullough made false representations to clients, including providing a false and inaccurate closing statement to at least one individual, to prevent the scheme from being uncovered.
McCullough’s clients lost approximately $720,851.05 through this scheme. Judge Bolden ordered him to pay full restitution.
On November 22, 2022, McCullough pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
McCullough, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 8.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Wallingford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten.
Bristol Man Charged with Additional Sex Trafficking and Obstruction of Justice OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a superseding indictment charging DAVID MARSHALL, also known as “Saint,” 38, of Bristol, with additional sex trafficking and obstruction of justice offenses.
On November 15, 2022, the grand jury returned an indictment charging Marshall with the forceful sex trafficking of one adult female and offenses related to his alleged actions following his arrest. As alleged in court documents, between January and April 2022, Marshall sold the victim for commercial sex and repeatedly raped and beat the victim if she did not follow his orders. He also controlled the victim by plying her with fentanyl and threatening to harm her family. In March 2022, the victim attempted to escape from Marshall and obtained an order of protection against him after he was arrested by Cromwell Police for threatening to kill her.
It is further alleged that, on April 27, 2022, Marshall was arrested by police in Freeport, Maine, after he severely beat the victim. While in jail, Marshall contacted the victim in violation of the protection order, and attempted to convince her not to cooperate with the police and to continue to prostitute herself to earn money to bail him out of jail. Marshall also contacted another person from jail in an attempt to remotely erase the evidence on his cell phone, but he was unable to do so because the FBI had already secured the phone.
The superseding indictment, which was returned on October 24, 2023, alleges that Marshall forcibly sex trafficked three additional adult females between 2016 and 2022. In addition, on May 10, 2023, while he was detained in federal custody, Marshall again attempted to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The superseding indictment charges Marshall with four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life on each count; two counts of attempted obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years on each count; and one count of interstate violation of a protection order, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, but the maximum penalty may be increased to 10 years if the conduct resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim, or to life imprisonment if the conduct constituted sexual abuse or aggravated sexual abuse.
Marshall has been detained since April 27, 2022. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Newington Police Department, Cromwell Police Department, Freeport (Maine) Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Amanda S. Oakes.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for its assistance in this case.
Hartford Man Admits Trafficking Cocaine and HeroinRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HIDELBRANDO QUINONES, also known as “Gordo,” 48, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to a narcotics distribution offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2023, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Quinones. Quinones was arrested on March 1, 2023. On that date, a court-authorized search of his Standish Street residence revealed approximately 200 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, and 100 grams of heroin, and various items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
Quinones pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 6, 2024.
Quinones is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Robbery and ShootingsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DIJON CHAMPAGNIE, 23, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from a violent drug-related robbery and shootings in West Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2019, Champagnie arranged to buy a half-pound of marijuana from an individual in West Haven. After Champagnie arrived at the seller’s residence, he removed a gun from his backpack, pointed it at the victim’s face, and demanded all the marijuana the victim had. After the victim gave Champagnie the half-pound of marijuana he had arranged to sell, Champagnie shot the victim in the leg, causing significant injuries. The victim’s neighbor, who had known Champagnie, heard the gunshot and saw Champagnie fleeing the scene.
In the days following the shooting, Champagnie posted videos on his Snapchat account of him shooting a gun into the air, pointing a handgun with an extended magazine at the camera, and showing a bag of marijuana that he presumably had stolen. Champagnie also sent several text messages threatening to harm the victim’s neighbor. In the early morning hours of July 7, 2019, Champagnie fired four shots into the neighbor’s apartment.
Champagnie has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on July 20, 2019. On August 18, 2023, he pleaded guilty in federal court to discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
This matter was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Haven, New Haven, and Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Ansonia-Milford State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the prosecution of this case.
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to New York and ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa O. Monaco traveled to New York and Connecticut this week to discuss the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to protect the American people from emerging threats to our national security and public safety.
Deputy AG Monaco joined the annual IBM Security Summit in New York City for a moderated discussion on how private industry and the government can best collaborate to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence, while also mitigating the risks posed by its potential abuse. The Deputy AG stressed that the risks and rewards posed by artificial intelligence are some of the “most important issues we face in law enforcement, national security, and in the protection of our privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.”
To ensure the Justice Department has a strategic plan to leverage the positive uses of AI, while staying alert to its risks, the Deputy AG announced the launch of an Emerging Technology Board to advise Department leadership on the ethical and lawful use of AI across the organization. As she explained, the board will promote use of AI in a manner that is “ethical and responsible and will advance information sharing across the Department regarding emerging technology-related best practices and use cases.”
The Deputy AG also visited Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, for a series of engagements with faculty and students to explain how the Justice Department executes its mission to uphold the rule of law in an evolving threat landscape. She urged the students to consider careers in public service and specifically at the Justice Department so that they could create and implement the next generation of policy to protect our national security while safeguarding civil rights and civil liberties.
On her trip, the Deputy AG joined U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York for a roundtable discussion with local Jewish leaders in Brooklyn. Deputy AG Monaco emphasized that the Justice Department’s top priority is keeping the American people safe; that the Department remains vigilant in addressing a heightened level of threats against Americans based on their religion, race, color, ethnicity, or national origin; and that the Department will use every available tool at its disposal to combat hate.
The Deputy AG also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, where she met with U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, her leadership team, and the dedicated prosecutors and professional staff of the office, as well as local and federal law enforcement leaders from Connecticut. She thanked them for their dedication to public safety and emphasized the vital importance of strong partnerships in the fight against violent crime, especially when it comes to combating the trafficking of fentanyl and firearms.
In recognition that the burdens of fighting violent crime too often fall disproportionately on our state and local partners, the Deputy AG underscored that the Justice Department awarded more than $4 million in grant funding to Connecticut law enforcement agencies and stakeholders last week. This funding will enable state and local agencies to hire new law enforcement officers, strengthen school-safety measures, and continue to advance community policing across Connecticut.
To learn more about a career at the Justice Department, visit: www.justice.gov/careers.
Deputy Attorney General Monaco in conversation at the IBM Security Conference Deputy Attorney General Monaco in conversation at Yale Law School Deputy Attorney General Monaco and U.S. Attorney Avery with the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of ConnecticutHartford Man Caught with Drugs and Ghost Gun in Bristol Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TRAEVAUGHNN MORRISON, 27, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and crack while armed with a ghost gun.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2022, members of the DEA’s Hartford Task Force made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Morrison in Bristol. After the drug sale, investigators followed Morrison as he drove his car and then parked in a condominium parking lot, where Morrison was taken into custody. At the time of Morrison’s arrest, investigators found in his car additional quantities of fentanyl and crack, and a Polymer80 handgun (“ghost gun”) with an extended magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition.
Subsequent analysis of the firearm determined that it had been used in two shooting incidents in 2021 in Waterbury and Hartford, where two individuals were injured. The government has no evidence that Morrison participated in either of the shootings.
Morrison’s criminal history includes convictions for felony drug 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.
Morrison has been detained since his arrest. On August 2, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”) and fentanyl.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Forfeiture Complaint Seeks to Return to New Haven More Than $1.1 Million Seized from Email ScammersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI have seized and filed a civil asset forfeiture complaint against $1,187.677.94 that was traceable to a business email compromise attack on the City of New Haven’s Board of Education earlier this year.
As alleged in the complaint, which was filed today in U.S. District Court, criminal actors were able to compromise an email account associated with a member of management team of the City of New Haven’s Board of Education. In June 2023, these actors created a fake email account that mimicked the email of a bus company that held a contract with the Board of Education for bussing. The criminal actors used the compromised email address to send test emails between the compromised email address and the newly created fake bus company email address. Using the fake bus company email address, the criminal actors then were able to change the bus company’s payment information from the real bus company to an account held by the criminal actors. New Haven sent approximately $5.9 million dollars to the account.
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office were able to trace and seize a portion of the stolen money. With the filing of a civil asset forfeiture complaint, the U.S. is seeking to forfeit and return the money to the City of New Haven. Approximately $3.6 million of the stolen money was previously recovered.
“While we will continue to pursue criminal prosecution of the individuals involved in this scam, recovering the victim’s money is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. ”Civil asset forfeiture allows the U.S. Attorney’s Office to recover money for victims of fraud, such as business email compromises, romances scams, confidence scams, and other crimes. As these fraud schemes often involve conversion of U.S. currency to digital assets, this process typically involves significant law enforcement resources and specialized training. In recent years, through the civil asset forfeiture process, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has recovered millions of dollars for Connecticut victims, most of whom do not have the means nor the expertise to trace the money.”
“Despite the advanced level of these particular cyber schemes, our highly trained law enforcement officers and agents haven been able to effectively uncover and stop the ongoing financial losses, and recover funds for the City of New Haven,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fuller. “Our ongoing focus will continue to be protecting those that remain vulnerable to cyber intrusion and fraud.”
To avoid becoming the victim of a BEC scheme, verify email addresses are accurate when checking mail on a cellphone or other mobile device before you open any attachments or follow any instructions and never make any payment changes without verifying with the intended recipient by phone or in person. If you think you have been a victim of a BEC scheme, immediately contact your bank to request a recall or reversal as well as a Hold Harmless Letter or Letter of Indemnity, and file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. Visit www.ic3.gov for updated information regarding BEC trends as well as other cyber fraud schemes.
This matter is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson.
Dominican National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE OZUNA CRUZ, also known as Jose Cruz-Cruz, Jose Chapulin, Jose Ozuna-Montero, and Jose Ozun-Cruz, 48, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, Ozuna was deported from the U.S. to the Dominican Republic in February 2010, following a felony conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and 37-month prison sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Ozuna subsequently illegally reentered the U.S. On November 21, 2022, Ozuna was arrested by Waterbury Police in Waterbury and charged with various state drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
Ozuna, who had been released on bond in his state case, appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Ozuna faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The state charges against him are pending.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Casey.
Wolcott Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Manufacturing and Dealing AR-15-Style Assault RiflesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY LEARY, 35, of Wolcott, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for manufacturing and dealing AR-15-style firearms without a license. Judge Underhill also ordered Leary to pay a $2,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and March 2022, Leary received Polymer80 firearms kits from another individual and assembled them in the basement of his Wolcott residence. On three occasions during that period, Leary provided to that individual eight AR-15-style assault rifles with collapsible stocks and 30-round magazines; a “P80” 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a fully loaded, 10-round magazine; 190 rounds of .223 ammunition; one “Magtec” box containing 50 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; and one “Independence” box containing 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The assault rifles and 9mm handgun contained no serial numbers.
Leary pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023, and admitted that he manufactured and dealt a total of more than 25 firearms to the same individual knowing that the individual was selling the firearms to others.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force (SFTTF) and Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force (SUVCCCTF/Gangs Unit), assisted by the Statewide Narcotics Task Force (SNTF) Southwest and North Central Offices, and the Bridgeport, Shelton, Orange, Waterbury, and Hartford Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens and Rahul Kale through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Justice Department Announces New Nationwide Public Safety CommitmentsRead the Press Release
New Haven – On November 2, the Justice Department announced several new commitments as part of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. Instituted by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021, the strategy focuses on harnessing federal resources, intelligence, and expertise as a force-multiplier with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta highlighted the more than $334 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders awarded today by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).The COPS grants announced today include funding to help law enforcement agencies hire over 1,730 new law enforcement officers across the country while also providing critical funding to support school safety and continue to advance community policing nationwide.
“Law enforcement officers across the country are showing up every day to protect their communities in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These grants, which support the hiring of more than 1700 new officers and make critical investments in school safety and crisis intervention efforts, will help provide local law enforcement agencies with the resources they need to keep their communities safe, support officers, and build public trust.”
Through this funding, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut is pleased to announce that the Justice Department’s COPS Office has awarded more than $8.8 million to Connecticut and several of its municipalities to combat violent crime and maintain public safety. Included in the grant awards are:
- COPS Hiring Program (CHP) Awards of $3,161,790 to the Hartford Police Department to hire 10 police officers, and $500,000 to the North Branford Police Department to hire four police officers;
- An Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program Award of $3,882,182 to Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection;
- A COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) Award of $500,000 to the New Hartford school system;
- And Community Policing Development (CPD) Program Awards of $153,806 to Colchester, $160,000 to Deep River, $190,000 to Fairfield, $126,660 to Norwalk, $28,615 to Vernon, and $174,342 to the Connecticut State Police.
“We are pleased that communities across Connecticut will benefit from these substantial Justice Department grant awards,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “These funds will help fight violent crime, curb the illegal distribution of dangerous narcotics, improve policing, and keep our children safe.”
The Department has also named the five new cities to join the more than 50 jurisdictions currently part of the Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), which has a proven track record of helping partner sites reduce crime, improve homicide clearance rates, and enhance the quality of life for community members. The 2024 PSP sites are: Knoxville, Tennessee; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Raleigh, North Carolina; San Antonio, Texas; and Vallejo, California.
Lastly, the Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General announced that this December 11-13, in Indianapolis, the Justice Department’s will bring together 1,500 local and federal partners from across the country, including representatives from the more than 50 PSP jurisdictions and from Project Safe Neighborhoods for a Violent Crime Reduction Summit, to be hosted by OJP BJA.
Complete lists of all program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here.