Hartford Grand Jury Indicts Man On Drug, Weapons Charges

HARTFORD, CT — A New Britain man stopped by Hartford police has been indicted on multiple drug and weapons charges, according to federal officials.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, Brian D. Boyle, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody Wednesday said a federal grand jury in Hartford indicted Thomas Rivera, 29, of New Britain, with fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.

The indictment was returned July 21 and Rivera was arrested Tuesday, federal law enforcers said in a statement.

Following his arrest, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford who ordered Rivera detained, the U.S. attorney's office said.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, Hartford police stopped a vehicle Rivera was operating and found him in possession of a bag containing approximately 140 grams of fentanyl, approximately 370 sleeves of fentanyl, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol and $1,323 in cash.

Rivera was arrested on state charges at that time and subsequently posted a $1 million bond.

The indictment alleges Rivera’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm possession and drug distribution offenses.

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

The indictment charges Rivera with:

• One count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

• One count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries mandatory consecutive prison term of at least five years.

• One count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the Hartford Police Department’s Vice, Intelligence and Narcotics Division.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the federal Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.