Manchester Man Implicated In Federal Fentanyl Factory Case

MANCHESTER, CT — A Manchester man was among those arrested Tuesday on federal narcotics distribution and money laundering charges related to the large-scale distribution of fentanyl in Connecticut, authorities said.

He was identified as 24-year-old David Cintron.

Six were arrested in all on Tuesday, according to John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut and Brian D. Boyle, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England.

In addition to Cintron, arrested were:

• Domingo Guzman, 43, of Waterbury
• Armando Gonzalez, 38, of New Britain
• Daniel Estremera, 40, of East Hartford
• Gildardo Perez-Benitez, also known as "Jesus Ayon," 51, of North Canaan
• Xiang Qing Zhang, also known as "Jay," 41, of Brooklyn, New York

All are being detained.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July, the DEA's Hartford Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in Connecticut. The investigation revealed that Guzman, Ayon and "others" received kilogram-quantities of narcotics, primarily fentanyl, from a source of supply, and then distributed the drug to various narcotics traffickers, including Cintron, Gonzalez and Estremera, according to case records.

Gonzalez, Cintron, Estremera and others then sold the drug to street-level distributors and members of the organization delivered cash generated from the sales to Zhang, a money broker in Brooklyn, NY, who then assisted in laundering the narcotics proceeds before they were transferred to leaders of the drug trafficking organization, according to a case records.

Gonzalez and Cintron used several locations to store, process and package fentanyl for street stale, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain, according to case records.

On Dec. 19, Cintron was arrested on state charges shortly after he drove from the Pratt Street location and was found in possession of approximately 4,860 wax paper sleeves of fentanyl, 90 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, and other items used to process and package narcotics.

Estremera is accused of using an apartment on South Street in West Hartford to process, package and store narcotics. On March 13, investigators searched the apartment and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 500 wax folds of the drug, according to case records.

Between August and October 2019, investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash from members of the drug trafficking organization, Durham said.

In association with Tuesday's arrests, investigators seized approximately $100,000 in cash, a firearm, several thousand wax folds of suspected fentanyl, and numerous items used in the processing and packaging of narcotics, records show.

"We are living in a time of heightened awareness of public health and safety," Durham said. "This operation targeted a group of individuals who are alleged to be responsible for the widespread distribution of a drug that ruins lives, continues to kill people every day, and puts unneeded stress on law enforcement and healthcare resources. I thank the DEA agents and task force officers who, at great risk to their own safety, are working during this time to protect our communities, disrupt the flow of this awful drug, and remove wrongdoers from the streets."

The defendants were arrested on criminal complaints charging each with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances; money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

"Fentanyl is causing great damage to our communities," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Boyle. "The men and women of DEA along with our law enforcement partners are hard at work protecting the public by taking this poison off the streets of Connecticut, especially during this very uncertain time of COVID-19."