CT man found guilty in connection with narcotics operation involving ‘large amount of fentanyl'
A federal grand jury has found a Torrington man guilty on charges tied to a drug-trafficking ring known to authorities to move large amounts of fentanyl and other narcotics.
The guilty verdict against Mario Pascual-Aquino, 44, was handed down on Monday in federal court in Hartford following a trial that began last Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. He was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, officials said.
Evidence presented at trial showed that the DEA Hartford Task Force investigated a Hartford-based drug trafficking organization involved in the distribution of a 'large amount' of fentanyl and other narcotics, according to authorities. The group was also reportedly involved in transporting and laundering cash made from the drug sales, officials said.
During the investigation, authorities made a coordinated traffic stop in January 2022 involving a minivan and seized $92,000 from a hidden compartment, officials said. The investigation reportedly revealed that Harold Luis Del Orbe, also known as 'Jaro,' was directing others in the minivan to conduct narcotics-related transactions on his behalf, according to authorities.
On Nov. 16, 2022, investigators carried out a search warrant at an apartment on Putnam Heights in Hartford and seized about 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and unspecified items commonly associated with processing and packaging narcotics, according to federal officials. Pascual-Aquino, Del Orbe and others were in the apartment at the time, officials said.
Pascual-Aquino is set to face sentencing on Aug. 13, when he faces a minimum mandatory 10-year prison term and a maximum of life in prison, according to federal authorities. He was remanded into custody when the guilty verdict was returned.
Del Orbe pleaded guilty to related charges and was sentenced on May 6 to 10 years in prison, according to officials.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mass. man who supplied gang with ‘particularly dangerous' drugs began drinking, smoking at 13
At just 13, a Massachusetts boy turned to alcohol and marijuana. By 15, he was hooked on heroin. Now, three decades later, the scars of that addiction run deep — and at 39, he's been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a Massachusetts-based drug ring. Brian Gingras, also known as 'Cheech,' was sentenced June 4 to nine years in prison. Gringas pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. Gingras' 'first encounter with the criminal justice system was in 2003, when he was 17 years old. The next 20 years of Defendant's life would be an uninterrupted parade of arrests and criminal court cases,' court documents state. 'Most of these cases did not result in convictions, but the records illustrate in stark relief Defendant's unwillingness or inability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law.' Read more: How one machine supercharged illicit drug manufacturing in Mass. In 2019, Gingras' parents bought him a home. Three years later, investigators searched that home 'finding substantial evidence of Defendant's crimes.' Investigators also said the 'unkempt home' was 'in disarray.' 'Drugs were found in nearly every room of the house, some of which were clearly being used,' court documents state. 'Defendant himself appeared to be in distress, and he was removed from the scene in an ambulance.' Thousands of 'particularly dangerous imitations' of Adderall pills that were supplied by a Massachusetts gang looked like the real pills but were filled with a compound of methamphetamine and caffeine. The pills had become increasingly popular and prevalent in Lowell. They were similar in shape, size, and appearance to genuine Adderall but were typically pressed with methamphetamine by local drug traffickers using pill presses, court documents state. Gingras was the source of the pills and other drugs, such as cocaine and counterfeit 'Xanax bars,' to the Asian Boyz gang, according to court documents. He was distributing wholesale quantities of cocaine and various illicit pills. He had all the equipment necessary to produce the pills himself, including an industrial pill press, which is legal in the U.S. The machines are largely unregulated and available for purchase online. In the garage, officials found a broken pill press covered in drug residue. Historically, pill presses were used in the pharmaceutical profession and by people who make their own dietary supplements, such as bodybuilders or naturopaths. Read more: A Mass. man bought an illegal depressant online and took his life. The seller will go to prison Gingras also maintained a large quantity of the drugs at a commercial storage facility, court documents state. Inside the storage unit, officials found 250 grams of methamphetamine pills, over 1 kilogram of etizolam pills, bags of suspected marijuana, boxes of THC extract and edible products and over 30 kilograms of caffeine pills that looked identical to the counterfeit 'Adderall' pills made with methamphetamine. Bill Phim, also known as 'Bonez,' of the Asian Boyz gang, told an undercover officer that he coordinated the supply of methamphetamine pills with other Asian Boyz gang members and associates, including Gingras. Between May 2022 and September 2022, officials said Gingras met with Phim prior to planned deals to personally deliver pills. In total, Gingras supplied Phim with about 5,200 pills during this time period, consisting of over 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) of methamphetamine, court documents read. Gingras sold the pills for about $1 per pill. 'Phim, in turn, re-sold the pills to the undercover officer for a significant profit, at the price of $3.50 per pill,' court documents read. Phim, 37, of Lowell, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will then be on five years of supervised release. Read more: Will Mass. lawmakers take action on illicit drug-making machines? Public comment sought. Between February 2022 and April 2022, Erickson Dao, also known as 'Silent,' 32, of Lowell, delivered the counterfeit pills to Phim at least five times. Phim then sold the pills to an undercover federal agent for more than $11,000. On 12 different dates in 2022, Phim sold these counterfeit 'Adderall' pills to an undercover agent. In total, Phim sold the undercover agent over 10,000 pills for more than $36,000. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills were a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine. When investigators searched Dao's residence, they discovered thousands more counterfeit 'Adderall' pills and large quantities of cocaine. Gingras was seen making 'brief visits' to the back door of Dao's house, 'where Dao routinely engaged in drug transactions,' court documents state. Dao was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. He will then be on four years of supervised release. Read more: We bought a machine that makes fentanyl pills. It wasn't hard Gingras said he was not part of the Asian Boyz gang. However, court documents state he was highly associated with them, including knowing one of the leaders. After the seizure of the drugs, investigators suspected that they had completely disrupted Gingras drug operation. Over Facebook Messenger, another suspected Asian Boyz gang member Samnang Son, or 'Smiley,' told Gingras that he was 'poor.' Gingras responded, 'Me too. I went from balling to crawling.' 'Defendant's response was revealing, capturing his state of mind in the immediate aftermath of the demise of his own illicit drug operation,' court documents read. When officials went to arrest Gingras the next day, they found him at a location in Lowell that is 'frequented by drug addicts and known as a place to obtain and use illicit drugs.' Read more: Hidden in plain sight: Where pill presses have been uncovered in Mass. Court documents state his addiction and mental health issues were considered when deciding his sentence. However, court documents state, 'this case suggests that Defendant even embraced a life of crime.' Officials hopes the nine years in prison gives Gingras 'significant opportunity to participate in the programming available,' including Bureau of Prison's Residential Drug Abuse Program. Netflix movie with well-known comedians needs paid background actors How pink heart shaped fentanyl led to Mass. father's 18-year prison sentence Botulism cases linked to Botox injections under investigation in Massachusetts ICE deportation blocked by Boston judge: Migrants now in shipping container in Djibouti Mass. State Lottery winner: Father will take children to Disney with $100K prize Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Customs Border Protection officer charged with possessing child porn
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was charged with knowingly possessing one or more items that contained visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said Friday. Anthony John Crowley 52, of Minnetonka, Minn., made his first appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday, authorities said. 'In recent months, we have seen a rash of agents, officers, and public officials engaging in crimes against children,' Thompson said in a news release. 'Let there be no misunderstanding: the U.S. Attorney's Office has zero tolerance for people in positions of trust and authority who abuse children. Zero.' A special agent with Homeland Security, Timothy Ryan Gregg, 51, of Eagan, was charged Monday in U.S. District Court with producing child sexual abuse material after federal authorities say images and videos of the two engaged in sexual activity were found on her cellphone on May 29. 'When those who take an oath to uphold the law become the ones who break it in the most egregious way, it erodes the public's faith in our institutions,' said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. 'We are seeing a troubling pattern — multiple arrests in recent months involving individuals in positions of authority charged with exploiting children. Let one thing be clear: position and power will not shield you from accountability. If you harm a child, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you. And no matter who you are, we will bring you to justice.' Crowley was ordered Friday to remain in custody pending further proceedings. Man once convicted in Minnesota of supporting al-Qaida is now charged in Canada for alleged threats Jury finds Milwaukee man guilty of killing and dismembering 19-year-old woman 'We feel relief': Derrick Thompson found guilty in Minneapolis crash that killed five young women Man charged with hate crime in Boulder attack on 'Zionist people' appears in federal court Minneapolis man sentenced for stabbing, hanging St. Paul woman's dog after argument
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scottish drugs mule flooded market with £7m of heroin in plot involving former cop
A Scottish drugs mule who flooded the UK with millions of pounds worth of heroin has been ordered to pay back just £42k. Christopher Heaney, from Anstruther in Fife, was jailed for nine years for his involvement in a cross-border heroin conspiracy as he and four others were busted by cops following the arrest of a former police officer in 2022. Ex-cop Steven Creasey was stopped while driving to Fife having already travelled from his home in Cardiff to Liverpool on the same day. A dog then sniffed out a professionally installed hide under the passenger seat, reports WalesOnline. READ MORE: Tragedy as West Lothian man dies in crash after air ambulance lands on busy road READ MORE: Iconic Edinburgh 'banana flats' bursts into flames as residents evacuated It contained a 5kg stash of heroin and one kilogram of adulterant. A burner phone also found in his possession revealed he had been operating as a professional courier engaged by the heads of a Liverpool-based gang. Fife-based Heaney was involved in the distribution of onward supply across the UK along with three others. Raids were then carried out at homes in Cardiff, Liverpool, Scotland and Northumberland towards the end of 2022. Significant items were found at the addresses, including expensive jewellery, heroin, cocaine, adulterants, opium, cannabis grows, and metal moulds for pressing powder into blocks. All five defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial at Cardiff Crown Court in February last year. The gang members were jailed for a combination of 57 years and 2 months. A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing was held at the same court earlier this week. It heard how despite profiting around £125,000 as part of the operation, Heaney was ordered to pay back a fraction of £42,000. Judge Lucy Crowther ordered him to pay the sum within three months. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. If he fails to do so, he will face an additional 18 months in jail. Speaking after sentencing, Detective Inspector Christopher McGlinchey of Police Scotland said: "This case underlines our collaborative efforts to dismantle organised crime networks that span regions. "The significant amount of drugs trafficked by this group had the potential to inflict serious harm on our communities. "The success of Operation Solon demonstrates strong partnership working between Police Scotland, Tarian ROCU and other partner agencies. It also reinforces our commitment to the UK's Serious and Organised Crime Strategy. "Organised crime has no place in our society and we will continue to work relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice."
