Waterbury Cocaine Distributor Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEAN CARLOS FABAL-GONZALEZ, 26, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to 40 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury and Naugatuck Police Departments into a heroin and cocaine trafficking operation headed by Keith Jordan of Waterbury.  The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Jordan was receiving large quantities of heroin and cocaine from various suppliers and selling to drugs to other distributors and street-level customers.  Fabal-Gonzalez supplied cocaine to Carlos Morais of Waterbury who, in turn, supplied cocaine to Jordan.

On March 13, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Fabal-Gonzalez, Jordan, Morais and 26 other individuals with various federal offenses related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine.

Fabal-Gonzalez was arrested on March 20, 2019.  A search of his residence at the time of his arrest revealed is residence revealed a handgun and more than $31,000 in cash.

On January 21, 2020, Fabal-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine.

Fabal-Gonzalez has been detained since his arrest.  He is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and may face immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.

Jordan and Morais previously pleaded guilty.  On February 20, 2020, Morais was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.  Jordan awaits sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, Waterbury Police Department and Naugatuck Police Department, with the critical assistance of the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office.  The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Nathaniel J. Gentile.