Manchester Man Accused of Disguising Coke as Coffee Sent to the Can

MANCHESTER, CT — A man who had been accused of distributing cocaine sent to him in coffee cans has been ordered to serve more than five years in prison.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, said on Tuesday that David Gil-Grande, 29, of Manchester, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the case stems from joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department that targeted a drug trafficking organization operating in Hartford’s North End.

The operation involved distributing crack and powder cocaine, Daly said.

The investigation revealed that Gil-Grande received shipments of cocaine, stored in sealed coffee cans, from Puerto Rico, Daly said.

He then supplied the cocaine to individuals who converted much of it into crack, Daly said.

The cocaine was distributed in both forms in the area of Barbour Street in Hartford, she said.

Gil-Grande then put the proceeds into the coffee cans, re-sealed them and sent them back to Puerto Rico, Daly said. He also drove large amounts of cash to New York City where it would be sent to Puerto Rico, she sent.

On Jan. 6, 2016, Gil-Grande was stopped as he drove to New York and a subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a stash of cash totaling about $92,000, Daly said.

The investigation led to 20 arrests.

Gil-Grande has been detained since his arrest on January 21, 2016, Daly said. On Nov. 8, 2016, entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, she said.

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