JOAQUIN VERAS, Heroin Trafficking, Connecticut 2019

Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Trafficking

A Stamford man pleaded guilty to heroin trafficking charges in federal court today. JOAQUIN VERAS, 46, of Stamford, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, one kilogram or more of heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March and May 2019, investigators made two controlled purchases of approximately 100 grams of heroin each from Veras. Investigators then arranged to purchase a kilogram of heroin from Veras for $58,000.

On May 16, 2019, Veras was arrested in possession of approximately one kilogram of heroin. A search of a Stamford apartment that Veras used as a stash location revealed another kilogram of heroin, a quantity of cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics for sale, and $7,000 in cash.

Judge Kari A. Dooley scheduled sentencing for December 23, 2020, at which time Veras faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Veras has been detained since his arrest. In August 2011, Veras was sentenced in the Southern District of New York to 57 months of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/stamford-heroin-trafficker-pleads-guilty