Morris Carter, III, Crack Cocaine Distribution, Connecticut 2012

Hartford, Connecticut – In a major blow to the city’s narcotics trade, Morris Carter, III, a 24-year-old Hartford resident, was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for his role in distributing crack cocaine in the city’s North End.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Carter, also known as ‘Chilly Mo, Jr.’ and ‘Mo,’ was part of a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the lower Vine Street area. The investigation, code-named ‘Operation Vinefield,’ was a nine-month joint effort by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.

As a result of the investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford. Carter, who has been detained since his arrest on February 23, 2012, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (‘crack cocaine’) on November 28, 2012.

The sentence, handed down by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson, also includes four years of supervised release. Carter’s co-conspirator, Joshua Easterling, has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

Carter’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut is committed to tackling the city’s narcotics trade and bringing those responsible to justice.

For more information, contact Tom Carson, Public Affairs Officer, at (203) 821-3722 or thomas.carson@usdoj.gov.

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