Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses, Violating Supervised Release

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDEN HUERTAS, 42, formerly of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 75 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2020, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Huertas.  Huertas was arrested on February 26, 2020, after a search of his vehicle revealed quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy, and a subsequent search of his residence revealed additional quantities of crack and heroin, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, a loaded 9mm Taurus PT-92C semi-automatic handgun, and additional rounds of ammunition.

Huertas has a criminal history that spans 25 years and includes state convictions for drug, weapon, robbery, burglary and larceny offenses, and federal convictions in 2015 for possession of firearm by a felon, and in 2019 for escape from custody.  Huertas was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest in January 2020.

On April 26, 2021, Huertas pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession a firearm by a felon.

In April 2022, Huertas’ sentencing was continued to allow him to continue drug and mental health treatment, and it was subsequently again continued after Huertas was admitted to Support Court.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 19, 2023, Huertas is suspected of being involved in a homicide of a 20-year-old man in South Carolina.

On July 10, 2023, law enforcement investigating attempted burglaries in Danbury on July 8 and in Southington on July 9 traced a vehicle used in the burglaries to a hotel in Danbury.  It is alleged that investigators located Huertas and another individual within a room identified as belonging to the operators of the vehicle.  As officers attempted to take the two men into custody, they both ran.  Huertas’ associate began fighting with officers, resulting in two of the officers being transported to the hospital for injuries.  Huertas and his associate were apprehended a short time later.  A search of the hotel room revealed two firearms, including an assault-type rifle and a pistol.

Huertas has been detained in Connecticut state custody since July 10.  State charges against him in South Carolina and Connecticut are pending.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, and Bridgeport Police Department, with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department and the Horry County (S.C.) Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.