Former Manchester Man Setenced In Fentanyl Case

MANCHESTER, CT — A former Manchester resident is getting jail time for narcotics trafficking, a leading prosecutor said.

John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, said that 26-year-old Angel Rodriguez, also known on the street as "Red," was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 84 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officials identified Rodriguez as a "significant distributor of fentanyl." On Feb. 4, investigators arranged a controlled purchase of 200 grams of fentanyl from Rodriguez in exchange for $13,000.

Rodriguez was arrested after he met the "purchaser" at an automotive business on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford with approximately 200 grams of fentanyl, Durham said. At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez also possessed a loaded 9mm pistol and approximately $2,600 in cash, he said.

A subsequent search of Rodriguez’s Manchester residence revealed more than 200 grams of marijuana, a .45 caliber rifle, three boxes of ammunition, and other firearm-related items, Durham said.

Authorities said 200 grams of fentanyl is the equivalent of about 8,000 doses.

On Oct. 15, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Rodriguez, who is currently released on a $100,000 bond and residing in Hartford, is required to report to prison on March 25, 2020.