Waterbury Man Charged with Cocaine Distribution, Firearm Possession Offenses

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a three-count indictment charging FELIX NARVAEZ, 53, of Waterbury, with cocaine distribution and firearm possession offenses.

The indictment was returned on February 12, 2025.  Narvaez appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty.  He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on November 7, 2024.

The indictment alleges that, on November 7, 2024, Narvaez possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and a loaded silver Ruger P90 .45 A.C.P handgun.

The indictment further alleges that Narvaez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, assault, and controlled substances offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

The indictment charges Narvaez with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth through Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.