Eros Diaz, Fentanyl and Heroin Sales, CT 2024

West Hartford man Eros Diaz, 21, also known as “Red,” was sentenced today to 45 months in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine, heroin, and deadly doses of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl in the Hartford area. U.S. Senior District Judge Alfred V. Covello handed down the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release and a mandate for 100 hours of community service.

According to court documents, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force began investigating Diaz in spring 2015 after receiving credible intelligence that he was a key supplier of narcotics. Between May 2015 and June 2016, an undercover agent conducted 17 controlled buys of crack and heroin from Diaz and his network. Each transaction was arranged via phone or text, with Diaz directing the agent to meet at rotating locations in Hartford—sometimes handling the hand-to-hand exchange himself, sometimes sending an associate.

Lab analysis of the seized drugs revealed a dangerous trend: several bags labeled as heroin contained potent synthetic opioids fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl. Shockingly, some samples had zero heroin—just lethal synthetics. These findings underscore the growing risk of overdose in street-level drug transactions, where users often have no idea what they’re ingesting.

At the time of these sales, Diaz was already under judicial scrutiny. He had been released on a $750,000 bond following a May 2015 arrest on first-degree assault and related charges tied to a March 2015 shooting. Those state charges remain pending. His federal arrest on June 7, 2016, ended his freedom; he has been in custody ever since.

Diaz pleaded guilty on September 16, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack, heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. Prosecutors emphasized the brazen nature of the operation—conducted while the defendant was already on pretrial release for a violent crime—calling it a blatant disregard for public safety and court authority.

The investigation was led by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes agents from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and local police departments in Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Wethersfield, and Willimantic. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone is prosecuting the case, sending a clear message: fueling the opioid crisis while on bond for violence will draw maximum accountability.