Hartford Drug Dealer ‘Peewee’ Gonzalez Gets 7+ Years

HARTFORD, CT – Elvin Gonzalez, a 45-year-old Hartford man known on the streets as “Peewee,” is headed to federal prison for more than seven years after being convicted on narcotics and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall handed down the 87-month sentence yesterday, followed by four years of supervised release.

The bust, a joint operation by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department, began unraveling in June 2021. Agents made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Gonzalez and his partner in crime, Jose Rivera, also known as “Chepo.” The investigation quickly escalated, revealing a significant drug operation operating out of Hartford.

On June 25, 2021, law enforcement descended upon Gonzalez’s Wethersfield Avenue residence. The search yielded a sickening haul: approximately 4,000 dose bags of fentanyl, 139 grams of crack cocaine, 18 grams of cocaine, and a small armory. Authorities discovered two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle – both of which were later determined to be stolen. Ammunition was also seized. A subsequent search of Rivera’s East Hartford location uncovered another 162 grams of loose fentanyl, 300 more dose bags, drug packaging materials, a handgun with a loaded magazine, and a staggering $19,000 in cash.

Gonzalez isn’t a stranger to the inside of a jail cell. His rap sheet stretches across three states – Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont – and includes convictions for narcotics offenses, robbery, and a laundry list of other crimes. Because of his prior felony convictions, simply possessing those firearms is a federal offense, as it violates laws concerning the interstate movement of weapons.

Gonzalez pleaded guilty on November 10, 2021, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was released on bond and is now required to surrender to prison officials on June 7. Rivera, 43, also pleaded guilty to the same offenses on January 5, 2023, and remains detained while awaiting his own sentencing. Expect him to face a lengthy term as well.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming is prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, comprised of members from multiple local and state agencies, including the Hartford, East Hartford, New Britain, and West Hartford Police Departments, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Department of Correction, demonstrated the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts to dismantle dangerous criminal enterprises.