Oscar Valentin, Drug Trafficking, Connecticut 2016

A New London man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in a narcotics distribution enterprise and the 2012 homicide of Javier Reyes.

Oscar Valentin, also known as “Tato,” 43, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 201 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics, and for his role in the September 2012 homicide of Javier Reyes of New London.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Valentin operated and managed a narcotics distribution enterprise at the “Green Garages,” a series of garage bays located at 12/14 Walker Street in New London.

In the summer of 2011, Valentin was the intended victim of a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by former members of his enterprise in an attempt to take over narcotics distribution at the Green Garages.

Valentin hired Nestor Pagan, also known as “Ernie” and “Naeem Medina,” to assault Javier Reyes. Pagan then hired Jose Rosado, Jr., also known as “Gugie,” and Andrew Aviles, also known as “P.A.” and “Papo,” to carry out the assault of Reyes in exchange for cash.

On the evening of September 12, 2012, Reyes, 36, was stabbed multiple times outside of his apartment at 187 Huntington Street in New London, and died a short time later. He also had blunt force trauma to the back of his head.

Video surveillance at the time of the attack showed Rosado, carrying a baseball bat, and another individual, creeping toward Reyes and then running away from him about 15 seconds later.

The investigation revealed that Rosado hit Reyes with the bat, knocking him to the ground. Aviles then stabbed Reyes multiple times.

This matter has been investigated by the New London Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Squad, the Connecticut Department of Correction, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and the New London State’s Attorney’s Office.

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