Hector Raul Cintron Charged in Heroin Death of East Haddam Teen

Hector Raul Cintron, also known as “G” and “Big G,” 22, of Hartford, is behind bars on federal charges tied to the fatal fentanyl overdose of an 18-year-old East Haddam man. The arrest marks a grim milestone in Connecticut’s crackdown on drug dealers whose narcotics result in death, with prosecutors pointing the finger directly at Cintron in a March 2016 incident that ended in tragedy.

On the morning of March 19, 2016, Connecticut State Police and emergency responders arrived at a residence in East Haddam to find the teen dead at the scene. Authorities seized the victim’s cell phone and multiple glassine bags with powder residue. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later ruled the cause of death as “acute fentanyl intoxication” — a lethal consequence of a heroin deal gone wrong.

According to court documents, the victim had driven to Avon on March 18, 2016, to pick up Kerry Scanlan, who arranged to purchase heroin from Cintron in Hartford. The two then traveled to the city, where Cintron allegedly sold the deadly batch. Scanlan was arrested on the same charge on August 9, 2016, as part of the widening investigation.

The case against Cintron deepened when it was revealed he sold approximately 200 bags of heroin to a cooperating individual on two separate occasions in November 2016. These transactions, conducted under the watch of law enforcement, bolstered the federal complaint charging Cintron with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin — an offense carrying a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

Following his arrest, Cintron appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained without bond. Federal prosecutors, led by U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, emphasized that while the complaint outlines serious allegations, it is not evidence of guilt. Cintron is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East, and East Haddam Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito is prosecuting the case, as part of a broader statewide push to hold dealers accountable when their drugs kill.