Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Drugs Involved in 2 Enfield Overdose Deaths

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHRISTOPHER BARRETO, 29, of Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to one count of possession with intent to distribution, and distribution of, controlled substances.

This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 9:52 a.m., on August 26, 2016, the Enfield Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Enfield and found an unresponsive 31-year-old male in the upstairs bedroom of the residence.  The victim was pronounced deceased.  Officers searched the immediate area and seized one empty white wax fold and six full white wax folds that contained suspected heroin.  Officers also seized the victim’s iPhone.  An analysis of text messages revealed that the victim had ordered heroin from an individual in the evening of August 25, 2016.

At approximately 8:23 p.m., on October 27, 2016, the Enfield Police Department and emergency personnel responded to another residence in Enfield and found an unresponsive 36-year-old man outside the house.  The victim was transported to the hospital for medical attention and pronounced deceased.  Officers subsequently recovered the victim’s cell phone and 20 white wax folds that contained suspected heroin.  Analysis of the victim’s cell phone revealed that the victim had purchased heroin from the same individual two days before his death.

Analysis of text messages revealed that both victims purchased heroin from an individual who had purchased the heroin from BARRETO.  The text messages also revealed that BARRETO was consistently dealing narcotics from April 2016 until he was arrested on August 10, 2017.

At the time of his arrest, investigators seized approximately 2,000 wax folds of heroin from BARRETO’s residence.

Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for October 31, 2018, at which time BARRETO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  BARRETO is released on bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Enfield Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.