Hartford’s ‘B.O.’ Minnifield Gets 5 Years for Crack Dealing

Robert Minnifield, also known as “B.O.” and “Slim,” a 32-year-old Hartford man tied to gang-fueled drug operations, was hit with a 60-month federal prison sentence Wednesday for distributing crack cocaine in one of the city’s most violent neighborhoods. U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the five-year term in Hartford federal court, followed by four years of supervised release. Minnifield was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service — a symbolic gesture in a case steeped in repeat criminal behavior.

The sentence marks the latest blow in a federal crackdown on narcotics networks embedded in Hartford’s North End, where Minnifield allegedly peddled crack on the corners of Edgewood Street and Albany Avenue. According to court records, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics Unit ran a coordinated sting that caught Minnifield in multiple controlled buys during June and July 2015. The investigation revealed tight affiliations between drug dealers and violent street gangs operating in the area.

Minnifield pleaded guilty on September 23, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 28 grams or more of cocaine base — a charge that triggers mandatory minimum sentencing under federal law. Prosecutors emphasized the danger Minnifield posed, not only for his role in flooding the neighborhood with crack but for his extensive history of armed violence and drug sales.

That criminal past is long and volatile. Minnifield has racked up multiple state felony convictions, including assault, firearm offenses, and prior narcotics sales. At the time of his federal offense, he was on special parole — a fact that federal authorities called a damning indicator of his inability or refusal to comply with the law. He is currently serving the remainder of a state sentence and will begin his federal term only after state custody ends.

The probe that brought Minnifield down involved a multi-agency coalition including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. Authorities say intelligence gathering, wire intercepts, and undercover operations were instrumental in mapping the distribution network and identifying key players like Minnifield.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming prosecuted the case, underscoring federal efforts to target repeat offenders linked to both drugs and violence. ‘This sentence reflects the reality of life in neighborhoods poisoned by street-level dealers tied to larger criminal enterprises,’ Leaming said. ‘Minnifield chose the life. Now he does the time.’