Devon Texira, Gun Possession, Connecticut 2023

Devon Texira, a 27-year-old Hartford man, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for a firearm possession offense, according to a recent federal court ruling. Texira, also known as ‘LV,’ was handed the prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford on February 16, 2023.

Texira was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a violation of federal law that prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Texira was involved in gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession as part of the Los Solidos gang.

The investigation also revealed that Texira had a history of felony convictions, including firearm possession, robbery, assault, and threatening offenses. In October 2021, Texira was on state probation when he coordinated the sale of a 9mm handgun to another individual for $800. The sale was part of a larger narcotics distribution and firearm possession operation led by Luis Feliciano, also known as ‘Louminaty.’

Feliciano, who distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, as well as in New York and Maine, was also charged in the operation. Texira’s arrest on March 27, 2022, was a result of a threatening incident involving a firearm. On June 8, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Texira, Feliciano, and 13 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.

Texira has been detained since his arrest and awaits sentencing on unrelated state charges. Feliciano and Jose Tirado, another individual involved in the operation, pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to 84 months and awaiting sentencing, respectively. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff prosecuted the case through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach.

Texira’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm possession, robbery, assault, and threatening offenses, making him a prohibited person under federal law. The prison sentence is a result of his unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The investigation has been ongoing since October 2021, with multiple arrests and convictions resulting from the operation.

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