Hartford Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Distributing Synthetic Opioids on Federal Supervised Release

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SETH WATSON, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing synthetic opioids and violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2015, Judge Chatigny sentenced Watson to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of ammunition by a previously convicted felon.  Watson, who had been detained since his arrest in July 2012, was released from prison in April 2016.

In 2017, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department received information that Watson was selling heroin and cocaine from a grocery store on Mather Street in Hartford.  In February and March 2017, investigators made four controlled purchases of purported heroin from Watson.  Laboratory testing of purported heroin purchased during the first two transactions determined that the substance was fentanyl, furanylfentanyl and U-47700.  The substance purchased during the third transaction was fentanyl and U-47700, and the substance purchased during the fourth transaction was fentanyl and heroin.

On March 28, 2017, Watson was arrested after investigators conducted a controlled purchase of narcotics from Watson and found him in possession of approximately 781 bags containing a total of approximately 21 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin. 

Watson has been detained since his arrest.  On April 29, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, furanylfentanyl and U-47700.

Judge Chatigny sentenced Watson to 72 months of imprisonment for the drug distribution offense and a consecutive 12 months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release conditions.

The FBI 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.