New London Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Heroin and Firearm Offenses

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GABRIEL PAULINO, 28, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for heroin and firearm offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 6, 2016, PAULINO was arrested after a court-authorized search of PAULINO’s New London apartment revealed a fully-loaded Beretta 9mm handgun, a Beretta “Silver Pigeon” 12-gauge shotgun, 12-gauge shotgun shells, 94 individually knotted bags of heroin, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, and several cell phones. The 9mm handgun had been reported stolen.

PAULINO has been detained since his arrest. On February 8, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

PAULINO’s criminal history includes convictions for criminal possession of a firearm, possession with intent to sell, possession of narcotics, and violation of a protective order.

This matter was investigated by the New London Police Department, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.