Hartford Man Charged with Narcotics Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment yesterday charging LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ, 23, of Hartford, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.

As alleged in the indictment, on November 19, 2020, a search of Rodriguez’s Hartford residence revealed distribution quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl, two loaded semi-automatic handguns, and $9,436 in cash.

It is further alleged that Rodriguez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for larceny 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.

The indictment charges Rodriguez with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle 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.

Rodriguez has been detained in state custody since November 19, 2020.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction Division of Parole and Community Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gresham.

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.