John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of
Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug
Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that the following
six men were arrested yesterday on federal narcotics distribution and money
laundering charges related to the large-scale distribution of fentanyl in
Connecticut:
DOMINGO GUZMAN, 43, of Waterbury
ARMANDO GONZALEZ, 38, of New Britain
DAVID CINTRON, 24, of Manchester
DANIEL ESTREMERA, 40, of East Hartford
GILDARDO PEREZ-BENITEZ, also known as “Jesus Ayon,” 51, of
North Canaan
XIANG QING ZHANG, also known as “Jay,” 41, of Brooklyn, New
York
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security Act (CARES Act), the defendants were presented in court via
videoconference. All are detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court,
in July 2019, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a drug
trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in
Connecticut. The investigation revealed
that Domingo Guzman, Jesus Ayon and others received kilogram-quantities of
narcotics, primarily fentanyl, from a source of supply, and then distributed
the drug to various narcotics traffickers, including Armando Gonzalez, David
Cintron and Daniel Estremera. Gonzalez,
Cintron, Estremera and others then sold the drug to street-level distributors. Members of the organization delivered cash
generated from the sale of narcotics to Zhang, a money broker in Brooklyn, New
York, who assisted in laundering the narcotics proceeds before they were
transferred to leaders of the drug trafficking organization.
During the investigation, it is alleged that Gonzalez and
Cintron used several locations to store, process and package fentanyl for
street stale, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment
in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain. On December 19, 2019, Cintron was arrested on
state charges shortly after he drove from the Pratt Street location and was
found in possession of approximately 4,860 wax paper sleeves of fentanyl, 90
grams of unpackaged fentanyl, and other items used to process and package
narcotics.
It is further alleged that Estremera used an apartment on
South Street in West Hartford to process, package and store narcotics. On March 13, 2020, investigators searched the
apartment and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately
500 wax folds of the drug.
It is also alleged that, between August and October 2019,
investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash from members of the drug
trafficking organization.
In association with yesterday’s arrests, investigators
seized approximately $100,000 in cash, a firearm, several thousand wax folds of
suspected fentanyl, and numerous items used in the processing and packaging of
narcotics.
“We are living in a time of heightened awareness of public
health and safety,” said U.S. Attorney Durham.
“This operation targeted a group of individuals who are alleged to be
responsible for the widespread distribution of a drug that ruins lives,
continues to kill people every day, and puts unneeded stress on law enforcement
and healthcare resources. I thank the
DEA agents and task force officers who, at great risk to their own safety, are
working during this time to protect our communities, disrupt the flow of this
awful drug, and remove wrongdoers from the streets.”
“Fentanyl is causing great damage to our communities,” said
DEA Special Agent in Charge Boyle. “The
men and women of DEA along with our law enforcement partners are hard at work
protecting the public by taking this poison off the streets of Connecticut,
especially during this very uncertain time of COVID-19.”
The defendants were arrested on criminal complaints charging
each with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled
substances; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution
of, controlled substances; money laundering and conspiracy to commit money
laundering.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a
charge and is not evidence of guilt.
Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
It is alleged that Guzman, Gonzalez and Estremera all have
criminal histories that include federal convictions. Guzman and Estremera are currently on federal
supervised release.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the
DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford,
Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and
Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies
assisting the investigation include the DEA New York Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) Strike Force and the New York Police
Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Geoffrey M. Stone.
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