Ramon Soto, Cocaine Trafficking, Connecticut 2024

Former New Britain Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine

Ramon Soto, a 57-year-old man from the Bronx, New York, formerly of New Britain, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Soto was involved in a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various "drop addresses" in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts.

Soto and others picked up parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to his New Britain residence or to a co-conspirator's residence. They then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx in return for payment.

During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses.

On May 1, 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Soto's residence and seized a loaded Ruger handgun, magazines, ammunition, two money counters, a digital scale with cocaine residue, and more than $1,000 in cash. A search of a co-conspirator's residence on that date revealed two firearms, a drum magazine, ammunition, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging material, and approximately $12,000 in cash.

Soto was arrested on February 14, 2024, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine on September 19, 2024. He is required to report to prison on February 26, 2026. Soto is currently out on a $50,000 bond. The investigation revealed a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation that involved multiple individuals and locations.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman. The matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service - Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.

Soto's sentence of 120 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, is a significant blow to the cocaine trafficking ring. The investigation and subsequent prosecution of Soto and his co-conspirators have disrupted a major supply chain of cocaine in the region.

The exact criminal charges against Soto are conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and will be required to serve four years of supervised release after his prison term.

The city and state where the crime took place are New Britain, Connecticut. The exact date of the sentencing is not specified, but Soto was arrested on February 14, 2024, and was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty on September 19, 2024.

The dollar amounts involved in the case include more than $1,000 in cash seized from Soto's residence and approximately $12,000 in cash seized from a co-conspirator's residence. The total value of the cocaine seized during the investigation is not specified, but it is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ramon Soto, 57, of the Bronx, New York, formerly of New Britain, is the defendant in this case. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/former-new-britain-resident-sentenced-10-years-federal-prison-trafficking-cocaine