New Haven Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking
A New Haven man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking operation. Halby Lopez, also known as ‘Harv,’ was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2015, the DEA New Haven Task Force initiated an investigation into a cocaine trafficking organization headed by Lopez. The investigation revealed that Lopez and his associates, including Omar Polanco-Mendez and Bernardo Roman-Rolan, were obtaining bulk quantities of cocaine from multiple suppliers and redistributing the cocaine to a network of New Haven-area street-level dealers.
The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of drugs, and the seizure of multiple kilograms of cocaine. Between January 2016 and March 2016, Lopez, with the assistance of Polanco-Mendez, arranged for the delivery of approximately seven kilograms of cocaine. Lopez used the La Familia Barber Shop located on Howard Avenue in New Haven, which he owned and operated, to distribute cocaine.
On March 24, 2016, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 13-count indictment charging Lopez, Polanco-Mendez, Roman-Rolan, and seven other individuals with various narcotics offenses. All of the defendants pleaded guilty. Lopez has been detained since his arrest on March 11, 2016. On September 14, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
Lopez’s criminal history includes convictions for drug trafficking, weapons possession, and burglary. On February 24, 2017, Polanco-Mendez was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment. On March 2, 2017, Roman-Rolan was sentenced to 68 months of imprisonment.
The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Caruso and Jennifer Laraia.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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