HARTFORD, CT – Angel Benitez, 38, of Hartford, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 36 months for peddling oxycodone and illegally possessing a stolen handgun. U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver handed down the sentence today, adding three years of supervised release to the term.
The bust stemmed from a DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad investigation that uncovered Benitez and an accomplice illegally distributing oxycodone pills legitimately prescribed to the co-conspirator. Investigators made multiple controlled buys in August and September 2024, confirming the illicit operation. Benitez was taken into custody on November 6, 2024.
A subsequent search of Benitez’s Hartford residence turned up more than just drugs. Authorities discovered a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol – a weapon that had been reported stolen from West Hartford. For Benitez, a repeat offender, the gun charge carried significant weight. Federal law prohibits anyone with a prior felony conviction from possessing firearms that have crossed state lines.
Benitez’s rap sheet isn’t short. Court records show prior convictions for assault, burglary, and larceny in the state of Connecticut. This history clearly played a role in the judge’s sentencing decision. The feds weren’t messing around; they held Benitez without bail since his arrest.
On March 26, 2025, Benitez threw in the towel, pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, oxycodone, as well as unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The case was built by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad – a combined force of DEA agents, Connecticut State Police, and officers from multiple local departments including Bristol, West Haven, Hamden, Fairfield, Manchester, and Seymour.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins prosecuted the case, securing the conviction and subsequent sentence. This case serves as a stark warning: dealing drugs and possessing illegal firearms in Connecticut will land you in federal prison. The DEA and its partners are clearly focused on taking these players off the streets.
Related Federal Cases
- Hartford Heroin Dealer Gamero Gets 6 Years, Gun Charge Adds Time · Connecticut
- East Hartford Heroin Dealer Gets 7 Years · New York
- Gun-for-Drugs Dealer Liff Gets 18 Months · New York
- Hartford Crack Dealer ‘Prime’ Gets 46 Months · Puerto Rico
- New Haven Heroin & Crack Dealer Gets 2 Years · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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