New Haven Crack Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARQUIS PARKER, 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a New Haven drug trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2017, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force initiated an investigation into a New Haven drug trafficking organization headed by Jermayne Butler.  The investigation, which included physical surveillance, 13 controlled purchases of narcotics, and court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, revealed that members of the organization were distributing crack cocaine and oxycodone in the New Haven area.

Parker was intercepted on a wiretap communicating with Butler.  The conversations confirmed that Butler supplied crack cocaine to Parker, who sold the drug to customers in New Haven.

Butler, Parker and several other members of the organization were arrested on federal criminal complaints on February 6, 2018.  On February 8, 2018, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 30-count indictment charging 19 individuals with various offenses.

Parker has been detained since his arrest.  On April 29, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base. (“crack”).

Butler pleaded guilty to the same offense on August 9, 2019.  He awaits sentencing.         

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, which includes members from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, West Haven Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and David C. Nelson.