New Britain Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Crack in Hartford

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SAMUEL QUILES, 38, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine in Hartford.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2019, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police initiated an investigation targeting drug dealers and their drug suppliers who were operating principally in Hartford’s South End.  The investigation revealed that Quiles, who had a lengthy criminal history, was selling narcotics in the area of Heath and Rowe Streets in Hartford.  Between January and March 2020, investigators made controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack from Quiles and a 16-year-old juvenile he employed.

Quiles was arrested on March 4, 2020, on a state warrant charging him with firearm and reckless endangerment offenses related to a shooting incident that occurred in January 2019.  While detained in state custody, Quiles arranged for his girlfriend, Iris Colon, to continue his narcotics trafficking activities.  Colon was arrested on April 15, 2020.  At the time of her arrest a search of Quiles’ and Colon’s Dwight Street residence revealed approximately 130 grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia.

Quiles has been detained since his state arrest.  On February 22, 2022, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams of fentanyl and a detectable amount of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).

Colon pleaded guilty to the same charge on February 24, 2022, and awaits sentencing.

The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.