Bridgeport Man Indicted On Narcotics Trafficking Charges: Feds

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 28-year-old Bridgeport man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Hartford last week on narcotics trafficking charges, announced U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Jermel Bates, also known as "Mel Kitty" and "Kitty," was charged on March 28 with two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and if convicted, faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum term of 40 years, on each count.

As alleged in the indictment, court documents, and statements, in the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, Bates crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Bridgeport and ran from the scene. Law enforcement conducted an inventory search of Bates' vehicle and found:

• Plastic bags containing approximately 550 blue/green fentanyl pills stamped "M/30"
• More than 500 wax paper folds containing heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine
• Approximately 78 grams of crack cocaine

Bates was arrested on a federal criminal complaint in March of this year, and authorities further allege that, in conjunction with his arrest, investigators searched his person and his Newfield Avenue apartment and found:

• Plastic bags with thousands of blue-green fentanyl pills
• Hundreds of wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl
• A bag containing crack cocaine

Bates has been detained since his arrest, and U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Norwalk Police Department. The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.