Hartford Man Charged with Distributing Synthetic Opioids

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 4, 2017, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging SETH WATSON, 32, of Hartford, with distributing synthetic opioids.

WATSON appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on March 28, 2017.

According to allegations made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes 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 indictment charges WATSON with two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, furanylfentanyl and U-47700. If convicted, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.

WATSON is currently serving a term of federal supervised release, and he faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated his supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Daly 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.

The FBI 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 Geoffrey M. Stone.