Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BARRETT RICKETTS, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for gun and drug offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2016, RICKETTS was wanted for a violation of his state probation. On March 11, 2016, Hartford Police officers encountered RICKETTS in the area of Franklin Avenue and Benton Street and ordered him to stop. RICKETTS ran from the scene. During a foot chase, officers observed RICKETTS removed a handgun from his waist and throw it over a fence. RICKETTS subsequently tripped, fell to the ground and was apprehended. An officer then recovered a Glock 9mm, model 17, handgun on the ground where RICKETTS had thrown it. It was fully loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.

A search of RICKETTS person revealed 55 wax sleeves containing heroin, 18 small bags of crack cocaine, one bag of marijuana, and five oxycodone pills.

RICKETTS has been detained since his arrest. On December 20, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

RICKETTS’ criminal history includes 10 prior convictions, including three weapons convictions, one conviction for first degree assault, and two drug convictions. He also has two pending state cases, one for possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and one for violating his probation.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.