Citizen of the Domincan Republic Charged with Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

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 a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging DANIEL JIMENEZ DE LA CRUZ, 33, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in Waterbury, with fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Jimenez was arrested on September 20, 2018, after special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at his Waterbury residence.  Outside of Jimenez’s bedroom window, agents found a trash bag that contained a powdery substance that that later tested positive for fentanyl.  The trash bag also contained a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver. 

Jiminez has been detained since his arrest.

The indictment charges Jiminez with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years, and one count of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully in the U.S., an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.

This prosecution is part of 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.