NEW HAVEN, CT – Justin Parker, a 30-year-old New Haven resident known on the streets as “Tre,” copped a plea deal yesterday in federal court, admitting to large-scale heroin distribution. Parker faces a potentially lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton.
Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis and Peter D. Markle, detailed how Parker operated as a significant heroin supplier in the greater New Haven area. Between January and March of 2016, Parker repeatedly sold the deadly opioid to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The operation wasn’t clean, however.
When investigators moved to arrest Parker on March 30, 2016, he didn’t cooperate. According to court documents, Parker bolted, attempting to evade capture. In his desperation to escape, he tossed packets of what appeared to be heroin out of his vehicle window. The attempt to destroy evidence failed; he was apprehended the following day.
Parker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams or more of heroin. This isn’t a slap on the wrist charge. The offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, and a maximum of 40 years. Judge Arterton has set sentencing for July 27, 2017.
Parker has been cooling his heels in jail since his arrest on March 31, 2016, and will likely remain there for some time. The investigation was a joint effort between the ATF and the New Haven Police Department, a testament to the need for inter-agency cooperation in tackling the opioid crisis plaguing the region.
The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing. This conviction serves as a stark reminder that those who profit from peddling poison will be held accountable under federal law. The streets of New Haven are a little safer tonight, but the fight against heroin is far from over.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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