District of Connecticut
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Bridgeport Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ORTEXIS RAMOS, 34, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 16, 2022, Bridgeport Police encountered Ramos, who was a passenger in an unregistered car that was stopped at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Walnut Street in Bridgeport. When officers ordered Ramos to exit the vehicle, he attempted to flee. Ramos was apprehended a short distance away, and a search of his person revealed a loaded Taurus G2C 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
In 2005, Ramos was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment. 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.
Judge Williams scheduled sentencing for January 29, 2024, at which time Ramos faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Ramos has been detained since his arrest.
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.
North Stonington Woman Admits Trafficking Crystal MethRead 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 JILL MULLIGAN, 43, of North Stonington, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made three controlled purchases of crystal meth from Mulligan. On May 4, 2023, court authorized searches of Mulligan’s North Stonington residence and her vehicle revealed approximately 390 grams of crystal meth, and quantities of crack cocaine, LSD, and prescription pills. Mulligan was arrested on that date.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for January 24, 2024, at which time Mulligan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Mulligan is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, which 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. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.
Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHELDON THOMSON, 35, last residing in Norwich, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2007, Thomson, who now identifies as female, was convicted in state court of sexual assault in the first degree, involving sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 13, and of risk of injury to a child. She was released from prison in November 2015 and began serving a term of probation. In May 2022, Thomson’s state probation officer seized multiple cellphones, a tablet, and a storage card from Thomson, her vehicle, and her residence. Analysis of the seized devices revealed more than 100 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent children.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2024, at which time Thomson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on Thomson’s prior convictions for sexual assault in the first degree and risk of injury to a minor.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the State of Connecticut Office of Adult Probation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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.
Cheshire Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Tax Offenses Stemming from Nearly $1 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that ERIN SULLIVAN, 53, of Cheshire, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to fraud and tax offenses stemming from an embezzlement scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sullivan was employed as the office manager for a family-owned construction business, identified in court documents in “Company A,” based in Orange. Beginning at least as early as 2016, Sullivan made false entries into Company A’s payroll and accounting system that caused the system to generate hundreds of fraudulent checks payable to her or to “Petty Cash.” Almost immediately after she generated a fraudulent check, Sullivan changed the reference in the payroll and accounting system to show that it had been issued to a different payee. Sullivan sometimes generated checks in the name of Company A’s owner, forged the signature of Company A’s owner on the checks, and either cashed the checks or deposited them into her bank account. She also altered the payroll and accounting system in other ways, which resulted in her receiving additional pay to which she was not entitled. Through this scheme, Sullivan embezzled $955,960.71 from Company A.
In addition, Sullivan failed to pay $233,738 in federal income taxes on her embezzled income for the 2016 through 2021 tax years.
Sullivan pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Sullivan is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Orange Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Waterbury Man Caught Transporting Kilos of 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 CYRELLE CONYERS, 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 88 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 8, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterbury Police Department established surveillance at a Waterbury residence that was suspected of being used as a narcotics stash house. Officers observed several vehicles depart from the residence, including one driven by Conyers. Officers stopped and searched Conyers’ vehicle, which was unregistered, and seized approximately 13 kilograms of cocaine, more than 1.5 kilograms of heroin, more than 500 grams of crack cocaine, and more than 350 grams of methamphetamine. A search of a second vehicle that was stopped after leaving the residence revealed two handguns, 18 boxes of ammunition, and more than $31,000 in cash. A search of Conyers’ nearby residence revealed distribution quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics, and more than $4,000 in cash.
Conyers’ criminal history includes eight previous convictions, three of which involve the sale or possession of controlled substances.
On June 27, 2023, Conyers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. Conyers, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 24, 2024.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
Federal Jury Finds Hartford Man Guilty of Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found DENROY FABLE, 40, of Hartford, guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The trial before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams began on October 23 and the jury returned its verdict this afternoon.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, 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 drug purchases of marijuana from the store.
On October 5, 2022, Fable 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 pills, fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, MDMA, drug packaging and processing materials, U.S. currency, and five handguns. One of the handguns seized, a loaded .380 semiautomatic pistol, was found in a pocket of Fable’s jacket that was hanging on a shelf. Subsequent forensic testing of the firearm revealed the presence of Fable’s DNA.
Fable’s criminal history in state convictions for criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit, and federal convictions for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack. In March 2019, Fable was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 37 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He was released from prison in August 2020, and was on supervised release when he possessed the firearm in October 2022.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Fable faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Fable has been detained since October 5, 2022.
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, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and Brendan J. Keefe.
Southeastern Connecticut Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLOS ANTONIO CRESPO-FEBUS, 43, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 188 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail for distribution in Connecticut and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking operation headed by Crespo-Febus. The investigation revealed that Crespo-Febus was coordinating the shipment of parcels, each typically containing two kilograms of cocaine, from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New London County. Crespo-Febus paid at least three individuals to receive parcels of cocaine at their homes, and at least two others to serve as “runners” who retrieved parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to Crespo-Febus. The runners were paid $500 for each parcel they delivered.
Investigators intercepted and seized approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, and identified dozens of other suspicious parcels that likely contained kilogram quantities of cocaine. Crespo-Febus has admitted that he trafficked at least 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus has been detained since his arrest on September 20, 2021. On October 21, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Crespo-Febus’ criminal history includes a conviction in Puerto Rico for murder in the second degree, for which he was incarcerated for 11 years and four months, and a federal conviction in 2013 for unlawful possession of a firearm, for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New London and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Task Force 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman 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.
Honduran National Living in Bridgeport Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Robers Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging NELSON ROMERO-MARTINEZ, 45, a citizen of Honduras last residing in Bridgeport, with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
The indictment was returned on October 18, 2023, and Romero-Martinez was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on January 25, 2007, Romero-Martinez was convicted in Connecticut state court of second-degree assault. He received a five-year prison sentence and was removed to Honduras in approximately January 2010. Romero-Martinez subsequently tried to reenter the U.S. at least three more times and was deported to Honduras each time. He successfully and unlawfully reentered the U.S. and, on August 5, 2023, was arrested by Bridgeport Police in connection with an alleged stabbing incident.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Romero-Martinez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt 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. Attorney Ross Weingarten.
Federal Jury Finds Shelton Man Guilty of Unlawful Possession of Assault Rifle and Ammunition in WaterburyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found MIGUEL RIVERA, also known as “Macho,” 31, of Shelton, guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
A trial before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall began on October 17 and the jury returned its verdict yesterday afternoon.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, in the early morning hours of July 5, 2020, Waterbury Police officers responded to a shots-fired complaint in the area of William Street and Laurel Street in Waterbury. When officers arrived on William Street, Rivera, who was wearing a body armor vest, attempted to flee by climbing over a fence. Rivera was subsequently apprehended, and a search of the area from which he had run revealed a Romarm/Cugir, AK Type Model, 7.62 x 39mm caliber, semi-automatic rifle containing a fully-loaded 30-round magazine. Rivera also possessed one round of ammunition in his pocket.
Rivera’s criminal history includes convictions for felony firearm, robbery, and burglary 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.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Rivera faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
It is alleged that on June 21, 2022, while he was released on bond and awaiting trial in this case, Rivera unlawfully possessed a stolen 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, and two Kevlar bullet proof vests. He has been detained since July 13, 2022, and additional charges are pending in federal court.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Patricia Stolfi Collins 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.
Jamaican National Indicted for Sweepstakes Scheme Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a seven-count indictment charging HOWARD CHAMBERS, 32, a citizen of Jamaica residing in Waterbury, with fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from his alleged participation in a sweepstakes scam that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars.
The indictment was returned on October 17, and Chambers was arrested this morning. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $150,000 bond into home detention, with electronic monitoring, pending trial.
The indictment alleges that, since at least 2018, Chambers and others used a sweepstakes scheme to induce primarily elderly victims to provide them with money. As part of this scheme, scammers notified victims, typically by telephone, that they won a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. The victims were told that in order to collect their winnings, they must pay fees and taxes. Following the initial phone call, Chambers and others mailed the victims fake documents, including a “winning notification” letter from Publishers Clearing House and a letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that the victims were required by law to pay taxes on their winnings. Victims sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut, including an address in East Hartford, and throughout the U.S.
The indictment also alleges that Chambers and others moved money received from victims through various accounts in different companies’ names, including a limited liability company registered in Connecticut with Chambers as its managing member and agent. Conspirators sometimes used victims as intermediaries to receive money from other victims and then move that money to members of this scheme. For example, at least one victim received checks and cash in the mail from people she believed were “sponsors” who were helping her pay the fees to receive her winnings, but actually were other victims. The victim deposited the checks into her bank account, withdrew cash, and mailed the cash to various addresses as directed by the conspirators.
The indictment charges Chambers with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each of these offenses carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll-free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
Read more about the Justice Department’s efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse here.
New Haven Man Who Possessed Ghost Gun Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NIQUELLE LANDELIUS, 27, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm and narcotics offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 22, 2022, New Haven Police arrested Landelius after a court-authorized search of his Chatham Street residence revealed a loaded privately made 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which had no serial number or manufacturer information (“ghost gun”), and distribution quantities of crack cocaine and heroin.
Landelius’ criminal history includes state convictions for felony narcotics 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.
Investigators subsequently submitted to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) test-fired shell casings from the seized handgun. Analysis of the shell casings revealed that it matched shell casings that were recovered at two shooting incidents that occurred in New Haven on February 13, 2022.
Landelius has been detained since his arrest. On March 8, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.
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.
Norwich Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraud and Tax Offenses Stemming from Scheme that Victimized Women Through Social Media AccountsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEXTER ENWEREM, 36, of Norwich, 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 fraud and tax offenses stemming from a scheme that defrauded women approached through their social media accounts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately September 2019 and March 2021, Enwerem participated in a scheme to defraud individuals, primarily women, who were contacted through their Facebook and Instagram accounts. As part of the scheme, a co-conspirator of Enwerem used a false identity and made false representations to approach and befriend victims through the social media platforms. As the relationship progressed, the co-conspirator sometimes moved the communication to Google Hangouts, an online platform that allows users to communicate by video call or direct chat message. Eventually, the co-conspirator requested money from victims based on various false representations of need. The victims then sent money by wire transfers, checks, money orders, and cash. Some of the money was wired into bank accounts that Enwerem controlled, and some was sent in packages to an address where Enwerem could receive them.
Through this scheme, Enwerem and his co-conspirators defrauded victims of approximately $450,000. Enwerem wired approximately $220,000 of these funds to bank accounts in Nigeria. In response to bank officials who questioned the nature of these wire transfers, Enwerem falsely stated that the recipients were family members and that the funds were intended to take care of his grandmother, and for household expenses.
Enwerem also failed to pay taxes on the income he fraudulently obtained.
Judge Bolden ordered Enwerem to pay restitution of $449,189 to his victims, and $127,299 in back taxes for the 2019 and 2020 tax years.
Enwerem was arrested on related state charges on March 24, 2021. On May 23, 2023, He pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and one count of tax evasion.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Cyber Task Force (CCTF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Norwich Police Department, with the assistance of the Hartford Police Department.
The FBI’s CCTF is staffed with detectives from the Connecticut State Police’s Cyber Crimes Investigation Unit and the Bristol, Hartford, Stamford, and UConn Police Departments, as well as an agent from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. To contact the CCTF or report a cyber incident, please call the FBI’s New Haven Field Office at 203-777-6311 or file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
New Britain Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS RIVERA, 30, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, 2022, Hartford Police stopped a vehicle Rivera was operating and found him in possession of a bag containing approximately 140 grams of fentanyl, approximately 370 sleeves of fentanyl, a 9mm semiautomatic pistol with a loaded 15-round magazine, and $1,323 in cash. Rivera was arrested on state charges at that time.
Rivera’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm possession and drug distribution 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.
Rivera has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2022. On January 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics Division. The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
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.
Indictment Charges Honduran National with Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging CHRISTIAN JAVIER AMAYA-AGUILAR, 26, a citizen of Honduras last residing in Danbury, with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
The indictment was returned on October 4, 2023, and Amaya-Aguilar appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Amaya-Aguilar has been detained on separate state charges since July 2, 2023.
As alleged in the indictment, Amaya-Aguilar was deported from the U.S. following a felony conviction in May 2018 in Connecticut Superior Court for sexual assault in the first degree. On July 2, 2023, he was found in Danbury without having obtained the consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the U.S.
If convicted of the charge of illegal reentry, Amaya-Aguilar 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. Attorney Sean P. Mahard.
Bridgeport Man Charged with Trafficking Guns from Georgia to ConnecticutRead 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 Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging TYREE THOMAS, 36, of Bridgeport, with offenses relating to the illegal trafficking of firearms from Georgia to Connecticut.
The indictment was returned on July 19, 2023, and Thomas was arrested in Florida on September 6. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, between approximately August 2021 and March 2022, Thomas traveled to Georgia for the purpose of acquiring firearms, and transported the firearms back to Connecticut where he sold or transferred them to others. Several of the firearms that Thomas acquired in Georgia have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, including one that recovered in connection with a homicide.
The indictment also alleges that Thomas was previously convicted in Connecticut state court of felony drug and failure to appear offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Thomas with crossing state lines with the intent to engage in the unlawful dealing of firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Thomas has been detained since his arrest.
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 matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Clark and Rahul Kale.
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.
Danbury Postmaster Admits Operating Bribery, Kickback, and Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that on October 13, 2023, EPHREM D. NGUYEN, 50, formerly of Brookfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a fraud offense stemming from a bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme he operated while serving as the Postmaster of the Danbury Post Office.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nguyen was employed by the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) as the Postmaster of the Danbury Post Office in Danbury, with responsibilities that included supervising the maintenance and repair of all equipment, facilities, and vehicles assigned to the post office. In November 2020, Nguyen required that all Danbury Post Office vehicle maintenance and repair work be performed by a certain vendor, even though Nguyen knew that another vendor already had a contract for with the Danbury Post Office for those services. Nguyen demanded that the vendor provide free vehicle maintenance and repairs for himself, one of his children, a USPS employee, and employee of Nguyen’s personal business. In 2022, Nguyen solicited and received $90,000 in cash bribes from the vendor. In exchange for these bribes, Nguyen caused the USPS to overpay the vendor for vehicle maintenance and repair, which Nguyen characterized as a “raise.” Between approximately January 2022 and February 2023, Nguyen used USPS credit cards to pay the vendor more than $1 million, or approximately $760,000 more than necessary to pay for legitimate maintenance and repair work.
In addition, Nguyen embezzled more than $80,000 from the USPS by using his USPS credit cards to rent vehicles for the personal use of himself and others, and he approved more than $8,000 in fraudulent travel expense reimbursement claims for a co-worker.
Through these schemes, Nguyen defrauded the USPS of approximately $874,930.59.
“As federal employees, we take an oath to protect the public, including funds that have been allocated for federal services,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This corrupt employee operated a brazen bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme that defrauded the U.S. Postal Service of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I commend the USPS Office of Inspector General and the FBI for their excellent work in this investigation.”
“The public must have confidence that Postal Service employees will conduct their work in an honest manner,” said Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “When employees commit serious offenses, such as taking bribes, they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted. We are gratified to have contributed to this investigation and applaud the exceptional work by the United States Attorney’s Office for assuring that there is no place for public corruption anywhere within the Postal Service.”
“Investigations into the breach of public trust by government employees are a top priority for the FBI, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Fuller. “We would like to extend our appreciation to the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General for the excellent collaboration that led to this individual being brought to justice. We hope the results of this case and similar previous cases will send a clear message to anyone engaging in fraudulent government activities.”
Nguyen pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for January 5, 2024.
Nguyen who is currently residing in Quincy, Massachusetts, is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan N. Francis.
Three Hartford Residents Charged with Robbing Victims Who Advertised Goods on Internet MarketplacesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging JOHN VILLEGAS, 25, also known as “Kirby,” JALEN LASALLE, 19, and VALERIE MENESES, 23, all of Hartford, with offenses related to a series of gunpoint robberies targeting individual sellers of luxury goods over online marketplaces last year.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee. The investigation revealed that Villegas and Meneses committed one armed robbery on August 20, 2022, in Middletown, and that Villegas and Lasalle subsequently committed five armed robberies in Hartford in late August and early September 2022.
The indictment, which was returned on September 27, 2023, charges Villegas with six counts and Lasalle with five 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. The indictment also charges Villegas with three counts and Lasalle with two counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.
The indictment charges Meneses with one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Villegas and Lasalle appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Villegas has been detained since his arrest on December 14, 2022, and Lasalle, who was arrested on February 3, 2023, is released on a $50,000 bond. Meneses was arrested on October 5, 2023, and is released on a $25,000 bond.
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.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham.
U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.
Meriden Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GERARDO NUNEZ-IRIZARRY, also known as “Indio,” 45, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between June and August 2021, law enforcement made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Nunez-Irizarry. In November 2021, Nunez-Irizarry agreed to sell a 50-gram quantity of fentanyl. On November 18, 2021, investigators stopped Nunez-Irizarry’s car in Meriden as he drove to an arranged location to complete the transaction and seized approximately 50 grams of fentanyl. He was arrested on related state charges at that time.
On January 5, 2023, Nunez-Irizarry pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Nunez-Irizarry, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on November 17.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s New Haven Task Force, which 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 investigation has been supported by the Meriden Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman 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.
Former Wethersfield Resident Sentenced to Prison for Distributing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHANE J. SAWICKI, 29, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing legitimate and counterfeit prescription pills, and other drugs.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sawicki first came to the attention of law enforcement as a result of an investigation into a drug overdose that occurred outside of his Wethersfield apartment on September 18, 2021. Subsequent investigation revealed that Sawicki was connected to a drug trafficking organization in Illinois that was coordinating the sale and shipment of Xanax and crystal methamphetamine from California, and that he was receiving mailed packages containing Farmapram, which is a Mexican brand of alprazolam (Xanax). In April 2022, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of a package that was mailed from California to Sawicki’s Wethersfield address. The package contained two bottles containing a total of 180 Farmapram pills. Investigators also identified four similar parcels that had been mailed to Sawicki’s address prior to April 2022.
On April 29, 2022, investigators conducted a court authorized search of Sawicki’s apartment and seized thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, a small quantity of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, a distribution quantity of cocaine, numerous other bags and containers of assorted pills of different colors and shapes, a container of MDMA, and three bottles of Farmapram pills. A subsequent search of Sawicki’s cell phone revealed photographs of large quantities of pills, a large amount of U.S. currency, and numerous text message conversations regarding the sale of illicit substances.
Sawicki was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 7, 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 16, 2023.
Sawicki, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 15.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Wethersfield Police Department. The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office 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 A. Reed Durham.
Connecticut Woman Sentenced to Prison for Concealing Knowledge of Massachusetts Man’s MurderRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAMARI SMITH, also known as “Dakota,” 34, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 25 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for failing to report to law enforcement information she knew about the murder of a Massachusetts man in December 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, Brandon Batiste and Calvin Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” kidnapped Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, at gunpoint from a residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Batiste and Roberson threatened to harm Roman if he did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman. Batiste and Roberson forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and transported Roman and the other stolen property to Connecticut. Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street.
Batiste and Roberson then drove a separate car to an apartment that Roberson shared with Smith in Waterbury, and took most of the property stolen during the robbery, including a Gucci hat, earrings, a necklace with an “F” pendant, and a PlayStation 5, into the apartment. On December 26, 2020, Smith wore the hat, earrings, and necklace in a video on Snapchat. The following day, Smith received information that Roman’s family members had seen the Snapchat video, and that the items she wore belonged to Roman, who had been murdered. Instead of notifying law enforcement, Smith disposed of the items by selling them. In an interview with the FBI on February 11, 2021, Smith lied about what she knew about Roberson’s actions and her role in the disposal of the stolen property.
On June 5, 2023, Smith pleaded guilty to misprision of felony. Smith, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 13.
Batiste and Roberson have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. They are detained while awaiting sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for their assistance in this matter.
Member of Violent New Haven Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ChargeRead the Press Release
KIVEON HYMAN, also known as “Tiny, ” 25, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to an offense stemming from his role in a violent New Haven street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, including murders and attempted murders, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation has revealed that Hyman and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
Specifically, on June 16, 2018, Hyman shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang, and shot another individual in the vicinity.
Hyman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Hyman has been detained since his arrest on March 24, 2023.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
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 a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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. 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.
Eleven Charged with Trafficking Narcotics in New HavenRead 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, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson today announced that the following 11 individuals have been charged with federal offenses stemming from the illegal distribution of narcotics in and around the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven:
MARIANO IRIZARRY, a.k.a. “Pop” and “Papo,” 39, of New Haven
LUIS SANCHEZ-VAZQUEZ, 35, of New Haven
DIANNA ZEILIK, 53, of New Haven
LUIS GARCIA, 34, of New Haven
KELVIN ALVARADO, a.k.a. “Kelz” and “Kel Bucks,” 23, of New Haven
RYAN BRAMWELL, a.k.a. “Corona” and “Rona,” 29, of New Haven
YHAMANDA WALLEN, 29, of New Haven
JAQUET JACOBS, a.k.a. “Fifty,” 32, of New Haven
MARCUS JACOBS, a.k.a. “Slice,” 31, most recently of New Haven
JUSTIN GALLOGLY, a.k.a. “White Pudge,” 28, of New Haven
DENZEL SUGGS, 27, of HamdenAlvarado, Wallen, Jaquet Jacobs, Marcus Jacobs, and Gallogly were arrested yesterday, and Bramwell and Suggs were arrested on March 10. Irizarry, Sanchez-Vazquez, Zeilik, and Garcia were previously arrested.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in June 2022, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization headed by Irizarry that was operating in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and several controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. Irizarry distributed narcotics to a network of street-level dealers, as well as to his own customers. The investigation also revealed that Zeilik and Garcia were acquiring and distributing prescription narcotic pills, some of which they distributed to Irizarry.
During the course of the investigation, investigators seized more than 250 grams of fentanyl from Alvarado, more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 160 grams of heroin from Sanchez-Vazquez, more than 1,000 oxycodone pills from Zeilik, and seven firearms.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that charges are not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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.
Hartford Gang Member Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal 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 JOEL DeLEON, JR., also known as “Psycho,” 42, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by four 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, 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.
On March 8, 2022, investigators approached DeLeon, who was sitting in his vehicle on Wolcott Street, after they had observed him meeting with Feliciano and engaging in suspected drug activity. DeLeon was arrested on state charges after he was found with packaged fentanyl and crack cocaine, and a loaded .22 magnum revolver.
DeLeon’s criminal history includes multiple felony narcotics convictions, including a federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin, for which he was sentenced in November 2015 to 51 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release. He was released from federal prison in August 2018 and was on supervised release at the time of his arrest in March 2022.
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 8, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment charging DeLeon, Feliciano, and 14 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
DeLeon has been detained since his federal arrest on July 5, 2022. On January 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
Judge Shea sentenced DeLeon to 57 months of imprisonment for the narcotics and firearm offenses, and a consecutive six months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release.
Feliciano pleaded guilty and 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, with the assistance of Law Student Intern Christopher D’Urso, 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.
Honduran National Previously Deported 4 Times Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL ANTONIO CONTRERAS-MARTINEZ, 54, a citizen of Honduras residing in Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Contreras-Martinez was deported from the U.S. to Honduras in 2006, following the completion of a Connecticut state sentence for a violation of probation and violation of a protective order, and in 2010, following the completion of a Connecticut state sentence for carrying a dangerous weapon. Contreras-Martinez returned to the U.S., was convicted in Connecticut state court of criminal trespass and in federal court of illegal reentry, and was deported to Honduras in 2013. He was subsequently again found in the U.S. and deported to Honduras in 2016.
In 2021, Contreras-Martinez was arrested by Stamford Police for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and operating a motor vehicle under suspension. He subsequently failed to appear for a court proceeding. On September 30, 2022, Contreras-Martinez turned himself into the Fairfield Police Department following a hit and run incident.
Contreras-Martinez has been detained since his federal arrest on November 10, 2022. On July 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC WHITE, 31, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 17, 2021, Hartford Police arrested White after a foot chase and they found him in possession of a loaded .45 caliber Taurus handgun.
White’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for assault and narcotics offenses, and he was on special parole with the state when he was arrested in February 2021. 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.
White has been detained since his arrest. On June 30, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Elena L. Coronado.
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.
Nurse Charged with Tampering with Lorazepam VialsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging SEAN FALZARANO, 37, of Southbury, with five counts of tampering with a consumer product.
Falzarano is a Registered Nurse. The indictment alleges that, on January 31, 2022, Falzarano took five vials containing 2mg/ml of Lorazepam solution that he knew was intended to be dispensed to patients, removed the Lorazepam solution from the vials, replaced it with saline, and returned the adulterated vials to be used in medical procedures.
The indictment was returned on October 3. Falzarano appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is released on a $50,000 bond pending trial.
Each charge of tampering with a consumer product carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Falzarano’s nursing license is currently suspended.
This matter is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the DEA’s Hartford Diversion Control Division; and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Connecticut Investment Advisor Admits Defrauding Clients of $2.7 Million Through Cherry-Picking 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 JONATHAN VINCENT GLENN, 54, of Greenwich, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to defrauding investment clients through a “cherry-picking” securities scheme.
“Cherry-picking” is a fraudulent securities trading practice in which the responsible individual executes trades without assigning those trades to a particular trading account until the individual determines whether or not the trade has become profitable or suffered losses. The responsible individual then allocates the profitable trades to favored accounts – often the individual’s own accounts – and assigns unprofitable trades to disfavored client accounts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Glenn owned Glenn Capital LLC, also known as GlennCap LLC, an investment advisory firm headquartered in Greenwich. Through Glenn Capital, Glenn provided clients with portfolio management services including asset selection and asset allocation. Glenn managed all of Glenn Capital’s advisory clients’ accounts and was authorized to make trading decisions on each client’s behalf without seeking approval for each trade. Glenn placed trades on behalf of advisory clients, himself, or family members by trading directly in the relevant individual account, or by placing block trades in Glenn Capital’s omnibus account and allocating the block trades among the relevant individual accounts. Glenn Capital’s Code of Ethics required Glenn to determine and document the specific allocation of each block trade prior to the execution, and to allocate block trades to individual accounts at an average price.
In pleading guilty, Glenn admitted that he defrauded clients by retroactively allocating profitable omnibus-account trades to favored clients, family, and personal accounts, and unprofitable omnibus-account trades to non-favored-client accounts. Notwithstanding the requirements set forth in the Code of Ethics, Glenn did not determine the allocation of block trades until after they were executed, when he knew if the trades were profitable in the hours following the execution. When a block purchase of an equity security increased in value in the hours after the purchase, Glenn generally realized the profits by selling the security. He then allocated those profits to favored-client, family, firm, and personal accounts. When a block purchase of an equity security decreased in value, Glenn generally allocated those block purchases to the non-favored-client accounts. Glenn did not inform his clients that he was “cherry picking.” Instead, he gave the false impression that he allocated trades fairly and according to a pre-determined allocation methodology.
Through this scheme, Glenn defrauded more than 45 clients of a total of more than $2.7 million.
Glenn pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years and a fine of up to approximately $5.4 million. Glenn is released pending sentencing, which is scheduled for December 28.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has settled fraud charges with Glenn and GlennCap LLC.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Waterbury Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
TAVAUGHN WRIGHT, also known as “Teddy,” 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics and firearm offenses related to his role in a violent Waterbury street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address escalating violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. The investigation revealed that Wright, a member of the 960 gang, was distributing narcotics and using a location on Buckingham Street to store and process narcotics.
On February 13, 2020, investigators executed search warrants at Wright’s residence on Bucks Hill Road and the Buckingham Street location. The search of Wright’s residence revealed nearly 500 dose bags of heroin/fentanyl and other items, and the search of the Buckingham Street location revealed approximately 60 dose bags of heroin/fentanyl, a loaded 9mm handgun, and other items. Analysis of the firearm revealed that it was stolen in Maine in 2016.
Wright’s criminal history includes felony convictions, and 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 February 13, 2020. On June 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, ATF and Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) 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.
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.
Hartford Felon Admits Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GABRIEL HORACE WILLIAMS-BEY, 34, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 30, 2022, Hartford Police seized a loaded semi-automatic pistol from inside a vehicle that Williams-Bey was driving.
Williams-Bey’s criminal history includes a state firearms conviction, multiple state narcotics convictions, and a federal narcotics conviction for which he was sentenced, in June 2016, to eight years of imprisonment and four years of supervised release.
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.
Williams-Bey was released from federal prison in August 2021 and was on federal supervised release at the time of this offense.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Williams-Bey faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Williams-Bey has been detained in federal custody since July 12, 2022.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham 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.
Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office Celebrates Annual U.S. Attorney’s AwardsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony was celebrated this afternoon in New Haven. The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized approximately 140 individuals for their investigative efforts and other contributions to significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut.
“This past year has been marked by a succession of critically important prosecutions and impactful settlements that would not have been possible without the law enforcement partners recognized today, and their dedication to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “Day after day, we are honored to work together with them to uphold the rule of law, safeguard civil rights, and enhance the public safety of people in all communities across Connecticut.”
In addition to criminal and civil case awards that recognized investigators of violent crime, drug trafficking, child exploitation, public corruption financial fraud, tax fraud, health care fraud, pandemic relief fraud, identity theft, and other matters, U.S. Attorney Avery presented three special awards during the ceremony.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to Connecticut State Police Detective Jonathan Carreiro. Detective Carreiro, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force Officer and member of the Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, has displayed an unwavering dedication to the protection of children from dangerous predators who lurk in cyberspace and our community. He has spearheaded investigations of several individuals who were convicted of federal child exploitation offenses and are currently serving lengthy prison terms.
The U.S. Attorney’s Outstanding Community Award was presented to the founding members of FED-UP: Working Together for a Safer Community. Created in 2021, FED-UP is run by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with Project Longevity, local hospitals, and community-based organizations, to stop the gun violence that is destroying the lives of students and their families in Connecticut’s cities. FED-UP sends seasoned violent crime prosecutors, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and returning citizens into middle schools, where the program teaches students to understand that what they experience with gun violence is not normal, and that there is nothing wrong about being angry or scared by it. FED-UP has reached thousands of students in Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Haven, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is planning to expand the program to other cities.
A Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Service, Friendship, and Humanity was presented posthumously to Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Supervisory Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Scorza, who died in June at the age of 52.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford.
Justice Department Awards over $4.4 Billion to Support Community SafetyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced yesterday that it is awarding more than $4.4 billion to support state, local, and Tribal public safety and community justice activities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.
More than 40 grants totaling approximately $39 million were awarded to Connecticut state agencies, municipalities, and service organizations. Bridgeport, Bristol, Danbury, East Hartford, Hamden, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, Stamford, Stratford, Waterbury, and West Haven will each receive grants through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The full list of Connecticut grant awardees can be found here.
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”
“These Justice Department grants will help stem violence, solve crimes, assist victims, treat addiction, and support law enforcement throughout our state to keep our officers and the Connecticut communities they serve healthy and safe,” said Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse.
- More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims.
In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending.
More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
Third Defendant in Amazon Fraud Scheme Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENOY STEWART, 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to nine months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stewart created multiple vendor accounts with Amazon allowing him to sell merchandise through the website on a third-party basis. He often opened the accounts using false names, email addresses and other identifying information. After setting up the accounts, Stewart represented to Amazon that he was shipping it valuable merchandise to be held for sale by the company. In reality, he would not ship the merchandise, and would later falsely claim that it had been lost, supporting his false claims with fabricated documents. Amazon sent Stewart a series of refunds for the purportedly lost merchandise.
Through this scheme, Stewart defrauded Amazon of $1,063.762.82. Judge Thompson ordered him to pay full restitution.
On February 10, 2022, Stewart, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Stewart, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 30.
Two other individuals involved in this scheme pleaded guilty to the same charge. On September 5, 2023, Stewart’s brother, Oshane Stewart, who defrauded Amazon of approximately $742,000, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. On September 27, 2023, Rajhni Yankana, who defrauded Amazon of approximately $210,000, was sentenced to five months of imprisonment and five months of home detention.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Amazon. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
New Haven Teen Admits Assisting Armed Robbery of North Haven Gas StationRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT SMITH, also known as “Robbie,” 19, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to his role in the gunpoint robbery of a North Haven gas station last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF and the New Haven Police Department investigators identified an individual who is alleged to have committed a series of gunpoint robberies and a carjacking that occurred in late June and early July 2022. The investigation revealed that Smith assisted the individual commit an armed robbery of a Shell Gas Station located at 195 State Street in North Haven on July 6, 2022.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.
Smith has been detained since January 3, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, and North Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Ansonia/Milford for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and Smith’s co-defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding AmazonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAJHNI YANKANA, 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to five months of imprisonment, followed five months of home detention and three years of supervised release, for defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Yankana created multiple vendor accounts with Amazon allowing him to sell merchandise through the website on a third-party basis. He often opened the accounts using false names, email addresses and other identifying information. After setting up the accounts, Yankana represented to Amazon that he was shipping it valuable merchandise to be held for sale by the company. In reality, he would not ship the merchandise, and would later falsely claim that it had been lost, supporting his false claims with fabricated documents. Amazon sent Yankana a series of refunds for the purportedly lost merchandise.
Through this scheme, Yankana defrauded Amazon of $210,836.97. Judge Thompson ordered him to pay full restitution.
On August 26, 2022, Yankana pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Yankana, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 27.
Two other individuals involved in this scheme pleaded guilty to the same charge. On September 5, 2023, Oshane Stewart who defrauded Amazon of approximately $742,000, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. Stewart’s brother, Kenoy Stewart, who defrauded Amazon of more than $1 million, is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER ALAMO, also known as “Tito,” 36, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force identified Alamo as a distributor of heroin and cocaine in Connecticut, New York, and elsewhere. Alamo was arrested on January 13, 2021, after a court-authorized search of his residence revealed approximately 13,000 wax folds of fentanyl, more than 300 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately one kilogram of cocaine, quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, a .40 caliber handgun equipped with a loaded 28-round high-capacity magazine, a separate loaded 50-round “drum” magazine, assorted ammunition, a ballistic vest, and approximately $5,000 in cash.
While Alamo was detained in federal custody awaiting trial, he continued to coordinate the distribution of fentanyl through his wife, Maria Maldonado, as well as Maldonado’s son, Carlos Santiago, Jr., and a drug supplier, Henry DeJesus-Morales. On June 2, 2021, a court-authorized search of Maldonado’s residence, the same residence that was search in January 2021, revealed approximately 71 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately 1,800 wax folds of fentanyl, distribution quantities of marijuana, drug packaging supplies, a loaded pistol, a loaded shotgun, and approximately $13,000 in cash. The same day, a court-authorized search of Alamo’s father’s house revealed approximately $60,000 in U.S. currency and assorted jewelry, which were seized as proceeds of drug trafficking.
Alamo’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions.
Alamo has been detained since his arrest. On February 7, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Maldonado, Santiago, and DeJesus-Morales pleaded guilty to related charges and were sentenced to prison terms of 24, six, and 44 months, respectively.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office 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 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.
Man Who Trafficked Guns into Bridgeport Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANNON WINSTON, 23, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to firearm trafficking and possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Winston purchased firearms in Georgia, where he resided at times, and provided them to customers in Connecticut. Winston personally purchased at least 18 firearms in Georgia, and he had others purchase additional firearms on his behalf. The investigation, which included gun recoveries after shooting incidents in Bridgeport, revealed that some of the firearms were provided to members of the East End and PT Barnum gangs in Bridgeport.
On March 16, 2022, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Winston with firearms trafficking offenses. During his arraignment on March 29, 2022, Winston was informed that he could be required to serve a consecutive term of imprisonment of up to 10 years if he committed a federal felony while on pretrial release. Winston was released on a $100,000 bond on that date.
On December 21, 2022, Winston was arrested by Bridgeport Police for possessing a .357 caliber handgun with a loaded high-capacity magazine. He has been detained in federal custody since January 3, 2023.
Winston pleaded guilty to one count of crossing state lines with the intent to engage unlicensed dealing of firearms, and one count of receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for December 20, at which time Winston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney 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.
Yale University and Its Professor Agree to Pay $1.5 Million for Failure to Share Patent Royalties with VARead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Yale University and Dr. John Krystal have agreed to pay $1,507,743.67 to resolve False Claims Act and common law allegations that they failed to disclose certain patents and failed to share patent royalties with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for inventions made by Dr. Krystal when he worked for both institutions. The settlement resolves alleged conduct between March 2006 and February 2023.
“Universities and their professors must properly disclose and share royalties on inventions they discover while working for the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will ensure that those who benefit from government funding and resources properly compensate the taxpayers.”
“It is critical that inventions funded with taxpayer money be fully and timely disclosed to the government,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This settlement shows our commitment to ensuring that the government is fairly compensated for all taxpayer funded inventions.”
“The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring the VA is appropriately and fairly compensated for all intellectual property developed through VA-funded research projects,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA OIG) Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the Department of Justice for its efforts to reach this settlement.”
At the time of the inventions, Dr. Krystal was employed part time at Yale in various positions and with various research responsibilities, including as a Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Psychology, and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the Yale School of Medicine. He was also employed part time by the VA as a salaried clinical psychiatrist with research responsibilities at the VA Medical Center located in West Haven, Connecticut.
VA and Yale are parties to an agreement under which Yale and the VA agreed to promptly and in confidence disclose to each other all “Joint Inventions,” which included “any future invention or discovery, which is or may be patentable… in which at least one employee with compensation from the VA and at least one person who has an appointment with Yale is named as a co-inventor.” In addition, VA regulations require all VA employees to promptly disclose their inventions to the VA so the VA can make a determination as to whether it is entitled to ownership.
Beginning in March 2006, Dr. Krystal and four co-inventors applied for several patents related to the use of intranasal ketamine for treatment of depression and suicidal ideation. The patent applications allegedly acknowledged VA funding support. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued three patents. Dr. Krystal assigned his interests in those three patents to Yale.
In February 2015, Yale and Dr. Krystal began receiving royalty payments arising from the three ketamine patents. The United States alleged they never shared these royalty payments, now totaling more than $3 million, with the VA, and did not disclose the patents to the VA until 2017. In September 2017 and then again in January and June 2019, another school (which had been assigned as agent for the ketamine patents), in coordination with Krystal and Yale, allegedly submitted documents to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office removing the acknowledgement of VA support from the three ketamine patents.
The United States alleged that after a VA employee reminded Dr. Krystal of VA employees’ obligations to disclose inventions to the VA, in December 2017, Dr. Krystal submitted the required disclosure to the VA of the three ketamine patents. The VA then issued a determination that it was entitled to an ownership interest in the patents. Dr. Krystal appealed that determination to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the VA prevailed.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that during the time-period from March 2006, when Dr. Krystal and the other co-inventors filed the first patent application, to Dec. 8, 2017, when Dr. Krystal disclosed the ketamine patents to the VA, Yale and Dr. Krystal knowingly and improperly avoided their obligations to disclose the ketamine patents to the VA and to pay the VA its share of the royalty payments for the patents. The settlement also resolves allegations that from the date that Dr. Krystal disclosed the patents through Feb. 3, Yale and Dr. Krystal were in breach of contract and unjustly enriched by their failure to share the royalty payments.
As part of this settlement, Dr. Krystal agreed to forego any entitlement to share in the settlement paid to VA, pursuant to rights that he would otherwise have as a VA employee inventor. Simultaneously with this settlement, Yale, Dr. Krystal and the VA also entered into a separate agreement, under which Yale and VA agreed to share future royalties associated with the ketamine patents and assign the patents to the VA.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and the VA’s Office of General Counsel.
Fraud Section Attorney Jonathan T. Thrope and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot for the District of Connecticut handled this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAIME DIAZ, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally purchasing, possessing, and selling firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 2020 and November 2021, Diaz purchased approximately 17 handguns from two Connecticut firearm dealers. At the time of the purchases, Diaz was an unlawful user of controlled substances. After obtaining the firearms, Diaz sold them to others in exchange for cash, as well as narcotics.
On November 30, 2021, ATF special agents interviewed Diaz and seized the only firearm that remained in his possession. Diaz sold one handgun back to the firearm dealer he had purchased it from. Another handgun that Diaz purchased was recovered by the Hartford Police Department from an individual charged with drug trafficking. The remaining 14 firearms handguns have not been recovered.
On September 7, 2022, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Diaz has been detained since April 10, 2023, when his bond was revoked.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham 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 Involved in Oxycodone and Fentanyl Pill Trafficking Ring Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE LORA, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone pills, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and other drugs in the Hartford area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation by the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force targeting individuals who were distributing oxycodone pills, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and other drugs from neighborhood grocery stores in New Britain and Hartford. Between January 2020 and March 2021, investigators made several controlled purchases of illegal pills at the Washington Market, formerly located at 453 Washington Street in Hartford; JZ Tobacco, located at 25 New Britain Avenue in Hartford, and Prestige Market, located at 23 New Britain Avenue in Hartford. Lora worked at the stores and served as a drug runner and lookout for the organization.
On December 20, 2020, investigators stopped a vehicle registered to Ray Urena and found approximately 4,000 oxycodone pills and $51,000 in cash in a hidden “trap” beneath the front passenger seat of the car.
Lora, Urena, and others were arrested on May 18, 2021. On that date, searches of an apartment on Colonial Street in Hartford that was used by the drug trafficking organization, and two vehicles parked outside of the stash house, revealed approximately two kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 170 grams of heroin, more than 5,000 real and counterfeit oxycodone pills, approximately 2,000 xanax pills, approximately one kilogram of cocaine, approximately 100 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics, two handguns, and ammunition. A search of Urena’s residence in Waterbury revealed approximately $54,000.
On May 11, 2023, Lora pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, fentanyl.
Urena pleaded guilty to the same charge and awaits sentencing.
Lora, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on November 29.
The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA and the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the 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 John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Bridgeport Man Admits Lying During Grand Jury TestimonyRead the Press Release
On September 19, 2023, TAE’RON WOMACK, 22, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to making a false declaration before a federal grand jury.
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 statements made in court, 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. On July 20, 2020, Womack appeared before a grand jury in New Haven. Womack had been called to testify because his car was used during the shooting and killing of Myreke Kenion on January 26, 2020. The grand jury had developed information that Jaheim Warren was involved in the shooting. Womack was shown a picture of Warren and was asked “Have you seen this person before?” Womack, under oath, responded, “No.” He was then asked “You don’t recognize this person at all?” Womack responded, “Probably like seen him around but like overall, I don’t know him.”
Shortly after Womack’s grand jury testimony, investigators discovered a YouTube rap video in which Warren and Womack appeared together throughout the video.
Womack was arrested on September 9, 2020.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for December 12, at which time Womack faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
Jaheim Warren, 19, was shot and killed on December 20, 2020.
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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
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.
Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
HARRY BATCHELOR, also known as “Bookie,” 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering offense stemming from his 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 court documents and statements made in court, 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. Batchelor has been a member 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 gang 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.
On June 5, 2023, Batchelor pleaded guilty to one count conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and specifically admitted that he distributed narcotics, that he knew the East End gang was involved in violent activity, and that a firearm that belonged to him was used by another East End member to shoot a rival O.N.E. member on October 17, 2019.
Batchelor has been detained since May 6, 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, 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.
New Haven Man Charged with 2 Gunpoint RobberiesRead 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 five-count indictment charging GARY GIBSON, JR., 24, of New Haven, with offenses stemming from the armed robberies of two convenience stores in May.
The indictment was returned on September 12, 2023. Gibson appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on May 8, 2023.
As alleged in the indictment, on May 7, 2023, Gibson, brandishing a Glock semiautomatic handgun, robbed the Star Food & Convenience Store, located at 193 Boston Post Road in West Haven. On May 8, 2023, Gibson robbed the 7th Haven Convenience Store, located at 129 Sylvan Avenue in New Haven, and discharged the same handgun during the robbery. Gibson stole cash from both stores.
New Haven Police, with the assistance of West Haven Police, arrested Gibson shortly after the New Haven robbery and seized from him the handgun he allegedly used during the robberies. The gun had an attached laser sight and a loaded 15-round magazine.
It is alleged that Gibson’s criminal history includes six felony convictions for weapon possession, robbery, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Gibson 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 and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years; one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least 10 years; and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
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 FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force with the assistance of the New Haven and West Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff 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 Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for PPP Loan Fraud, Money Laundering, and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANTRUM COSTON, 41, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraud, money laundering, and drug offenses.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, Coston applied for and subsequently received two PPP loans, totaling $41,666, purportedly in relation to a cleaning business he operated. In association with the loan applications, Coston made multiple false statements, including that his business was established in 2018 when, in fact, no cleaning business associated with Coston had been formed in 2018, and that the business had total gross income for 2019 of $114,658 when, in fact, the business had not earned such income, and Coston was incarcerated for all of 2019. In February 2022, Coston sought forgiveness of both loans, falsely asserting in each instance that the funds had been spent on payroll costs.
On December 31, 2021, police stopped a car Coston was driving in West Haven. After initially stopping, Coston drove off, nearly striking the officer as he fled. Coston was found hiding in a parking lot a short distance away. A search of vehicle and person revealed distribution quantities of heroin/fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, and more than $2,000 in cash. A related search of Coston’s residence revealed a ballistic vest, $2,790 in cash, a small quantity of crack, and narcotics paraphernalia.
On December 20, 2022, Coston pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Coston, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on November 29.
Coston’s criminal history includes multiple convictions, including two federal convictions. In 2004, Coston was convicted in federal court of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment for that offense, and, in June 2007, received an additional 18 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. In December 2017, Coston was sentenced to 40 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for gun and drug offenses. He was released from federal prison in April 2020, and was on supervised release when he committed the PPP loan fraud, money laundering and drug possession offenses.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.
Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Man Who Robbed Hartford Credit Union Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ZAIQWAN FOTHERGILL, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for robbing a Hartford credit union last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29, 2022, Fothergill, armed with a .40 caliber ghost gun, robbed the Cencap Federal Credit Union, located at 2775 Main Street in Hartford, of $24,214. Fothergill’s associate, Hakeem Robinson, stood watch in the credit union during the robbery. Hartford Police officers located and arrested Fothergill and Robinson in Keney Park in Hartford shortly after the robbery.
On February 2, 2023, Fothergill pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery.
Robinson, 28, of Hartford, pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on May 8, 2023, was sentenced to 56 months of imprisonment.
Fothergill and Robinson have been detained since their arrests.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Indictment Charges Bridgeport Man with Drug Distribution and Firearm Possession 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 Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a two-count indictment charging JONATHAN BONAPARTE, 35, of Bridgeport, with drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
The indictment was returned on September 7, 2023. Bonaparte appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on March 31, 2022.
The indictment alleges that on March 31, 2022, Bonaparte possessed fentanyl and cocaine that he intended to distribute, six firearms, and approximately 100 rounds of ammunition. The indictment further alleges that Bonaparte’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and firearm offenses.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Bonaparte with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins, 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.
East Hartford Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Multiple Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUSTIN GAY, 27, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for multiple gun and drug possession and trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 6, 2016, Gay’s associate, Daniel Vazquez, shot a rival drug dealer who was driving a car at the intersection of Tolland Street and Moore Avenue in East Hartford. Vazquez was arrested on that date, and a search of his residence revealed a Ruger LC93 9mm handgun, which he had used in the shooting, and a Taurus 9mm handgun. The two firearms were traced to Minot, North Dakota.
The investigation revealed that Gay, Vazquez, and others trafficked firearms from North Dakota to Connecticut. In late June 2016, Gay, Vazquez, and others traveled to Minot where they purchased, sometimes with counterfeit currency, firearms from sellers who had advertised the guns for sale on a website. Gay and Vazquez then transported five firearms from North Dakota to Connecticut. Two of these five firearms were found in Vazquez’s residence on July 6, 2016. Several of the trafficked firearms were used in shootings in and around Hartford.
On December 8, 2016, East Hartford Police arrested Gay on state charges after he sold marijuana to an individual and was found in possession of one of the handguns he had obtained in North Dakota.
On September 1, 2019, Gay pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to unlawfully transport firearms in interstate commerce.
On April 30, 2020, Gay, who had been detained while awaiting sentencing, was released on bond due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 14, 2021, Gay was arrested after an investigation into drug trafficking by his roommate, Alexander Belen, led to a search of Gay’s vehicle. The search revealed a loaded 9mm handgun fitted with a “sear switch” that made the firearm fully automatic, a separate 50 round drum magazine, another loaded 9mm handgun, and distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack.
On April 20, 2023, Gay pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment, and commission of offenses while on release.
Gay has been detained since June 14, 2021.
On March 5, 2019, Vazquez was sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment.
Belen has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The gun trafficking investigation was conducted by the ATF and East Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction and the Minot (N.D.) Police Department. The drug trafficking investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Stolfi Collins and Brendan J. Keefe.
Two Bridgeport Gang Members Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
MICHAEL LOCKHART, also known as “Mikey RTN,” 24, and JAHAZ LANGSTON, also known as “Haz,” 23, pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court to charges 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 court documents and statements made in court, 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. Lockhart and Langston 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, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang. 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.
Lockhart was arrested on June 29, 2021, after a search of his residence revealed large bags of marijuana, numerous items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, five handguns, two empty boxes for other handguns, extended magazines, ammunition, body armor, and other gun accessories. Laboratory analysis of the seized items revealed that presence of Lockhart’s DNA on one of the handguns and a magazine. He has been detained since his arrest.
Lockhart pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Langston, who has been detained since his arrest on July 20, 2021, pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
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 Naugatuck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Tara E. Levens, Patrick J. Doherty, Rahul Kale, and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
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.
Puerto Rico Woman Admits Trafficking Cocaine on Flight to ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HECMARIELIZ CRUZ-ACEVEDO, 24, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a cocaine trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 9, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors at San Juan International Airport that Cruz-Acevedo had boarded a flight to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, with a final destination of Bradley International Airport, and had checked a piece of luggage that contained five rectangular-shaped objects consistent with narcotics packages. After the flight landed at Bradley Airport, a Connecticut State Police canine detected the presence of narcotics in the checked bag. Investigators stopped Cruz-Acevedo when she retrieved the bag at baggage claim. She was arrested after a search of the bag revealed five individual parcels, each containing slightly more than one kilogram of cocaine, located between articles of clothing.
Cruz-Acevedo pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Cruz-Acevedo is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Hartford Man Who Possessed Loaded Ghost Gun Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CAMRON HILL, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a federal firearm offense.
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 drug purchases of marijuana from the store.
On October 5, 2022, Hill 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. One of the handguns seized was a loaded 9mm privately made firearm (“PMF” or “ghost gun”) that was found behind the counter of the store in a black satchel-type bag. Surveillance video the morning of the search showed Hill using keys to open the store and carrying a black satchel-type bag. Subsequent forensic testing of the firearm revealed Hill’s DNA.
Hill has a prior felony conviction. 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 April 18, 2023, Hill pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a felon.
Hill, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on October 17.
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, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and Brendan J. Keefe.
Stafford Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID KAMAL, 61, of Stafford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to eight months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for tax evasion. Judge Shea also ordered Kamal to pay a $20,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kamal, who formerly resided in Hebron, willfully evaded taxes for the 2012 tax year by filing a false tax return for that year. On the tax return, Kamal claimed false deductions, including deductions for moving expenses and medical expenses he had not incurred. Kamal subsequently provided false documentation for the moving expenses, including invoices and bank statements, to an attorney for the IRS in connection with U.S. tax court proceedings. Kamal also filed false tax returns for the 2013 through 2017 tax years by claiming false and inflated unreimbursed medical and dental expenses.
Kamal has agreed to cooperate with the IRS to pay $163,264 in back taxes, as well as interest and penalties.
Kamal pleaded guilty to the offense on December 7, 2022.
Kamal, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on November 17.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.