3 Charged With Dealing Fentanyl, Cocaine In Hartford: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — Three people have been charged in connection with fentanyl and cocaine dealing in Hartford, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Denis Murtic, 36, of Farmington; Alexander Rodriguez, 45, of East Windsor; and Efrain Rosario, 41, of Hartford, were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine.

They are also charged in multiple counts of possessing and/or distributing fentanyl and cocaine. If
convicted of the most serious charges, each faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency's Hartford Task Force has been investigating Murtic for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine since last year. A court-authorized search of a Hartford apartment connected to Murtic in September 2020 revealed thousands of wax folds of fentanyl, more than 700 grams of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for distribution, according to prosecutors.

Investigators made a controlled purchase in October 2020 of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from Murtic and Rodriguez at a parking lot in East Hartford.

After the transaction, investigators observed Murtic and Rodriguez travel to an apartment on Wakefield Circle in East Hartford. Murtic, Rodriguez and Rosario were arrested at the apartment, which was being used as a drug processing and packing mill, according to prosecutors.

A search of the apartment revealed tens of thousands of glassine bags and wax folds of fentanyl, a compressed brick of cocaine weighing approximately one kilogram, a half-kilogram of cocaine, and numerous drug processing and packaging items.

Murtic and Rosario are currently detained and Rodriguez is released on a $100,000 bond.