Jaquan Leggett, 32, of Hartford, is headed to federal prison for more than seven years after being sentenced to 92 months for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine. Known on the streets as “Tipsy,” Leggett was hit with a stiff penalty from U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford, followed by five years of supervised release, for his central role in a narcotics operation that flooded parts of the city with deadly drugs.
According to court records, in January 2019, law enforcement began tracking Leggett and his associate, Dante Barnes, also known as “Tre,” after receiving credible tips about their drug trafficking activities in Hartford. Investigators uncovered that the two were using Leggett’s Lenox Street residence as a stash house and packaging site for fentanyl, crack, and cocaine. Over a two-month span, federal agents conducted multiple controlled buys from Barnes in both Hartford and Farmington, tightening the net around the operation.
The crackdown culminated on March 5, 2019, with the arrest of both men. A search of Leggett’s home turned up 169 bags of fentanyl, two grams of loose fentanyl, four grams of crack cocaine, two grams of powdered cocaine, and drug packaging materials. At Barnes’ Farmington residence, authorities seized 440 bags of fentanyl, 23 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, 32 grams of crack cocaine, and $24,160 in cash—proceeds believed tied to the drug trade.
Leggett has been locked up since his arrest, with no leniency granted due to a long string of prior convictions. His criminal history includes state-level firearm and drug offenses, as well as a federal conviction for possession of ammunition by a felon. In August 2012, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison for that federal charge—time that failed to deter his return to trafficking.
On October 28, 2019, Leggett pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. That same day, Barnes entered a guilty plea for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Barnes was later sentenced on February 10, 2020, to 60 months in prison and was forced to forfeit the seized cash and his 2007 Audi A6 3.2Q.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, in collaboration with the Hartford Police Department. The task force includes officers from the East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming prosecuted the case, calling attention to the ongoing battle against opioid-fueled violence and addiction in urban communities across Connecticut.
Related Federal Cases
- Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Pill Trafficking · Connecticut
- East Hartford Man Charged with Fentanyl, Cocaine Trafficking · Connecticut
- East Hartford Man Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking · Connecticut
- Norwalk Man Sentenced to 5+ Years for Fentanyl Trafficking · Connecticut
- Bridgeport ‘Zig’ Sentenced to 10+ Years for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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