Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to 65 Months

Edgar Zayas, 38, of East Hartford, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for possessing crack cocaine and a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden handed down the sentence on January 27, 2017, as part of a larger investigation into narcotics distribution, firearms trafficking, and acts of violence carried out by members and associates of Los Solidos in Hartford’s South End.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Zayas was initially arrested on May 15, 2015, after he traveled to a parking lot to meet his drug supplier, who was in possession of approximately 320 grams of crack.

A subsequent search of an apartment on New Britain Avenue in Hartford connected to Zayas revealed a .25 caliber handgun, a magazine with four live .25 caliber rounds, approximately 52 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics, and $4,120 in cash.

Zayas pleaded guilty on May 5, 2016, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (‘crack’).

As part of the sentence, Judge Bolden also ordered Zayas to forfeit a 2005 Acura RL, a 2002 GMC Denali, and the cash seized at the time of his arrest in May 2015.

The FBI Task Force, which includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction, led the investigation, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and Capitol Region Emergency Response Team (CREST).

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson as part of Project Longevity, a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.