New London Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking Ring

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS GONZALEZ, 48, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for his role in a southeastern Connecticut heroin trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation that began after several heroin overdoses in southeastern Connecticut, including two overdose deaths involving a heroin and fentanyl mix that occurred in January 2016.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Michael Luciano operated a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin to numerous street-level dealers, including GONZALEZ, in southeastern Connecticut.

On December 12, 2017, a grand jury in Hartford returned a 25-count superseding indictment charging GONZALEZ, Luciano and 19 other individuals with various heroin trafficking offenses.  GONZALEZ was arrested on December 14, 2017.  On June 5, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of use of a telephone to facilitate the commission of a drug trafficking felony.  He has been detained since his arrest.

Luciano, of New London, has been detained since his arrest on November 14, 2017.  On June 27, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, one kilogram or more of heroin.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East and the New London, Norwich, Waterford, Attleboro (Mass.) and Freetown (Mass.) Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.