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Defendant Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Heroin in Hartford
Cruz Fernandez, a 28-year-old member of the Bloods, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and heroin in Hartford, Connecticut. Fernandez, also known as ‘Blood,’ was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven on Monday.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Division targeting gang violence and narcotics trafficking in Hartford.
The investigation revealed that Wilson Velez, also known as ‘Wiso,’ a member of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation, was distributing heroin and fentanyl. Velez employed family members and other Latin Kings members and associates to process, package and distribute the drugs from apartment buildings on Hamilton Street and Elliot Street in Hartford. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from Velez and other members of the drug trafficking organization.
Fernandez, who is originally from New York, is a member of the Bloods, not the Latin Kings. He relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts, and then to Hartford, where he began distributing fentanyl/heroin that he had acquired from Velez and other Latin Kings members.
At the time of the offense, Fernandez was on probation following a heroin related arrest in Springfield. On May 1, 2018, a grand jury returned a 41-count indictment charging Velez, Fernandez and eight other members and associates of the Latin Kings. Fernandez was arrested on May 7, 2018. On February 26, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and fentanyl.
The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Fernandez’s sentence of 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, is a significant blow to the Bloods gang and a testament to the hard work of law enforcement in Connecticut.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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