WATERBURY, CT – Michelle Cruz, 38, of Waterbury, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 15 months for her part in a sprawling narcotics ring that flooded the streets with cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the sentence in Hartford, followed by a three-year period of supervised release.
The case, spearheaded by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, uncovered a sophisticated operation led by Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado.” Duprey allegedly used his employment as a cover to distribute kilogram quantities of drugs, and leveraged his girlfriend’s business on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury as a stash house. The investigation employed court-authorized wiretaps, relentless physical surveillance, and controlled buys to build its case.
Court documents reveal that in April and May of 2022, investigators intercepted Cruz ordering heroin and fentanyl directly from Duprey via wiretap. She then allegedly pushed those drugs to her own network of customers. On May 25, 2022, authorities swooped in, arresting Cruz, Duprey, and twelve other individuals linked to the operation. A search of Duprey’s residence and the Middlebury stash location turned up a staggering haul: roughly 10 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, 2 kilograms of fentanyl, and over $107,000 in cash.
Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on August 9, 2023, while out on a $50,000 bond and residing in New York. She is now required to surrender to prison authorities on May 21. Duprey has also entered a guilty plea and is awaiting his own sentencing date. This isn’t a lone conviction; it’s a piece of a larger dismantling of a major drug pipeline.
The investigation wasn’t a solo effort. Multiple agencies contributed, including DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the FBI; ATF; U.S. Marshals; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police and Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and police departments from Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven. U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Vanessa Roberts Avery, commended the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for their collaboration.
The prosecution falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, a multi-agency initiative designed to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile are leading the prosecution. The OCDETF focuses on intelligence-driven, prosecutor-led strategies to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks, and more information can be found at justice.gov/OCDETF. This case underscores the continued federal focus on stemming the flow of deadly narcotics into Connecticut communities.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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