Hartford Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Trafficking Heroin

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAFAEL GARCIA, 28, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matters stems from a DEA Hartford Task Force investigation of a heroin trafficking organization that was operating in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and the Dominican Republic.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that members of the organization distributed heroin and fentanyl from the Katty Grocery store located at 584 Franklin Avenue in Hartford.  The investigation also revealed that certain members of the organization stored a significant amount of narcotics in a house on Whitmore Street in Hartford’s South End.  Investigators identified GARCIA as a narcotics distributor who obtained large quantities of heroin/fentanyl from members of the organization.

On January 20, 2017, investigators stopped GARCIA’s car as he drove away from the Whitmore Street stash house.  During the stop, investigators seized a bag containing approximately 20 grams of fentanyl.  GARCIA was arrested on state charges at that time.

On April 27, 2017, a grand jury returned an indictment charging GARCIA and nine other individuals with various heroin trafficking offenses.  GARCIA was arrested federally on May 10, 2017.  On May 30, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin.

The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.