John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of
Connecticut, today announced that HECTOR ALFONSO, 37, of Manchester, pleaded
guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to drug and firearm offenses
related to a shooting that occurred in Hartford’s South End in December 2016.
According to court documents and statements made in court,
at approximately 10:00 p.m. on December 21, 2016, Hartford Police officers
responded to a report of a person shot at a car wash located at 156 Franklin
Avenue in Hartford. At the car wash,
officers encountered an employee of the car wash who was suffering from two
gunshot wounds. The victim was
transported to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released.
The investigation, which has included analysis of a
surveillance video, revealed that, shortly before the shooting, Alfonso and
Michael Rivera arrived at the car wash to acquire a distribution quantity of
heroin from Ruben Rodriguez and another individual. A dispute and subsequent struggle occurred
during the transaction, and Alfonso brandished a firearm. He then shot the employee.
Alfonso was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on
April 26, 2017. A search of his
Manchester residence on that date revealed cocaine residue on a toilet seat,
cocaine and crack cocaine residue in another part of home, and items used to
process and package narcotics for street sale.
He has been detained since his arrest.
Alfonso pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess
with intent to distribute heroin, an offense that carries a maximum term of
imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in
relation to a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory
consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years. Alfonso is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S.
District Judge Janet Bond Arterton on February 12, 2019.
Alfonso’s criminal history includes a federal conviction for
possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base
(“crack”). In June 2014, he was
sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release
for that offense.
Alfonso faces additional penalties for violating the
conditions of his supervised release from his prior federal conviction.
Michael Rivera, 35, of Hartford, and Ruben Rodriguez, 38, of
Meriden, have pleaded guilty to related charges and are detained while awaiting
sentencing.
When Rodriguez was arrested on September 29, 2017, a search
of his residence and vehicle revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol, numerous
rounds of ammunition, approximately 133 grams of heroin, approximately 170
grams of cocaine, and $61,909 in cash.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant
U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
This prosecution has been brought though Project Safe
Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement
and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods
safer for everyone.
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