HARTFORD, CT – Maria Maldonado, 50, of Hartford, will spend the next two years behind bars for her part in a large-scale fentanyl distribution network, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery announced today. Judge Janet C. Hall handed down the 24-month sentence in New Haven, followed by three years of supervised release. The case lays bare the reach of fentanyl dealing and the lengths traffickers will go to continue operations even while facing federal charges.
The bust began on January 13, 2021, with the arrest of Maldonado’s husband on federal drug charges. A raid of their Hartford residence turned up a sickening haul: roughly 13,000 wax folds of fentanyl, over 300 grams of loose fentanyl, a kilo of cocaine, crack, marijuana, and enough packaging materials to supply a street-level operation. Authorities also discovered a .40 caliber handgun with a high-capacity 30-round magazine and a separate 50-round drum, alongside assorted ammunition. The husband’s arrest, however, didn’t stop the flow.
Court documents reveal that while detained, Maldonado’s husband directed the fentanyl distribution *through* Maldonado, along with her son, Carlos Santiago, Jr., and a supplier, Henry DeJesus-Morales. On June 2, 2021, another search of Maldonado’s home yielded another 71 grams of loose fentanyl, 1,800 wax folds, more marijuana, packaging supplies, a loaded pistol, a loaded shotgun, and a staggering $13,000 in cash. A simultaneous raid on Maldonado’s father-in-law’s house uncovered another $60,000 in currency and jewelry, seized as drug money.
Maldonado pleaded guilty on March 17, 2022. Her co-conspirators, DeJesus-Morales and Santiago, have already faced justice, receiving 44 months and six months imprisonment, respectively. Maldonado, previously released on a $75,000 bond, must report to prison on March 1. The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, paints a picture of a sophisticated operation that stretched beyond Connecticut’s borders.
While the husband remains a defendant awaiting trial, U.S. Attorney Avery emphasized the presumption of innocence. “An indictment is not evidence of guilt,” she stated. The DEA’s Hartford Task Force comprises personnel from multiple Connecticut police departments – Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic – demonstrating a united front against drug trafficking.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, a multi-agency initiative designed to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. OCDETF leverages federal, state, and local resources to combat the flow of illicit drugs and related criminal activity. More information on OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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