Waterbury Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Violent Carjacking, Drug Trafficking

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICARDO VERDEJO, also known as “Rick” and “Ricky,” 27, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in both a violent carjacking and a Waterbury narcotics trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) were stolen from Emily Rodriguez’s Waterbury residence.  At the time, Rodriguez was living with Verdejo.  After the theft, Verdejo, Rodriguez, and others posted messages on Facebook seeking to identify the individuals responsible for the theft and offering money for information about the location of the stolen vehicles.  Verdejo and others then mistakenly identified an individual (“Victim 1”), who they incorrectly believed was involved in the theft.  Later that night, Victim 1’s friend, (“Victim 2”), picked up Victim 1 from work and drove him home.  As they arrived at Victim 1’s residence, three vehicles followed them and surrounded the victims.  Verdejo, who carried an assault-style rifle, and others exited the vehicles and approached the victims.  Verdejo and his associates demanded the return of the stolen ATVs, threatened to kill the victims, and physically assaulted them.  Verdejo smacked one victim in the head and then used the barrel of the rifle to strike both victims in the face.

Verdejo and his associates then stole Victim 2’s vehicle, which was owned by Victim 2’s relative, and other items and cash belonging to the victims.  Verdejo and his associates continued to harass the victims in the following days.

Also, Verdejo and 16 others were charged with federal offenses stemming from an investigation into two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  Verdejo was involved in the William Street organization.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

Verdejo and several of his drug associates were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

Verdejo has been detained since his arrest.  On April 15, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and on May 21, 2025, he pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

These investigations were led by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Waterbury Police Department.  The carjacking case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang, and the narcotics trafficking case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.