Edgard Martinez, Cocaine Trafficking and Gun Possession, Connecticut 2019

Edgard Martinez, a 39-year-old Tolland man, has been sentenced to 29 months in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking operation and for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, Martinez and his associate, Desny Sosa-Hernandez, arranged two controlled purchases of cocaine in Bridgeport in March 2019. Investigators coordinated the purchase of 300 grams of cocaine from the pair, and Martinez drove from his residence in Tolland to pick up Sosa-Hernandez at his residence in Waterbury.

When Martinez arrived at Sosa-Hernandez’s residence, investigators apprehended the pair and seized a brown paper bag containing 300 grams of cocaine inside Martinez’s vehicle. A subsequent search of Martinez’s residence revealed a .45 caliber handgun, a quantity of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics.

A search of Sosa-Hernandez’s residence revealed shoeboxes containing $18,111 in cash. Martinez’s criminal history includes a felony narcotics conviction for which he received a four-year sentence.

Martinez has been detained since his federal arrest on March 28, 2019. On September 3, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

The case has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Milford Police Department. The Task Force includes participants from the Connecticut State Police and the Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, and Bridgeport Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile. On November 6, 2019, Sosa-Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine. He is released on a $100,000 bond while awaiting sentencing.

Martinez’s sentence is a result of his involvement in a cocaine trafficking operation that spans multiple locations in Connecticut. His sentencing serves as a reminder of the serious consequences faced by those involved in such operations.

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