Hartford Gang Member, 27, Gets Jail Time For Gun Offense: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man will spend nearly five years behind bars for illegally possessing a firearm following his sentencing in federal court Tuesday.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, said Devin Texira, also known as “LV,” 27, of Hartford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm possession offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this stems from an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession by members of Los Solidos.

The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed Luis Feliciano, also known as “Louminaty,” distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, and also to individuals in New York and Maine, Avery said.

In October 2021, a member of Feliciano’s drug trafficking network, Jose Tirado, coordinated the sale of a 9-mm handgun, owned by Texira, to another individual for $800, she said.

Authorities said Texira’s criminal history includes felony drug convictions for firearm possession, robbery, assault, and threatening offenses, and he was on state probation in October 2021 during the firearm transaction.

It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Hartford police arrested Texira on March 27, 2022, on state charges related to an alleged threatening incident involving a firearm.

On June 8, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Texira, Feliciano, Tirado, and 13 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.

On Feb. 16, Texira pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He has been detained since his arrest and he awaits sentencing on the unrelated state charges.

Feliciano and Tirado pleaded guilty. On Aug. 11, 2023, Tirado, also known as “Joselito” and “Leet,” was sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment. Feliciano awaits sentencing.

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