Hartford Man Admits Distributing PCP

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORGE OQUENDO, also known as “G,” 35, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP).

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2019, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department received information that Oquendo was distributing a large quantity of packaged and liquid PCP from his Wilson Street residence.  Investigators subsequently made a controlled purchase of PCP from Oquendo at his residence.  On May 22, 2019, investigators attempted to arrest Oquendo after he drove to a parking lot on Prospect Avenue in West Hartford.  When multiple law enforcement vehicles closed in on Oquendo, he quickly accelerated, struck and damaged one police vehicle, drove across the parking lot, and then smashed his car into a second law enforcement vehicle that was blocking the exit to Prospect Avenue.  A task force officer who occupied the second police vehicle was injured in the crash and briefly lost consciousness.  Oquendo was apprehended and placed under arrest shortly thereafter.

At the time his arrest. Oquendo possessed a clear plastic bag containing smaller zip lock bags, each containing a black leaf substance soaked in PCP.  A subsequent search of Oquendo’s residence revealed approximately 50 grams of black leaves soaked in PCP, more than seven grams of liquid PCP, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and approximately $14,000 in cash.

Oquendo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on September 9, 2020, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Oquendo has been detained since his federal arrest on May 31, 2020.

The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.