Montville Man Sentenced In Heroin, Fentanyl Dealing Case: Feds

MONTVILLE, CT — A Montville fentanyl dealer who traded a gun for drugs has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, according to a statement from Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Kenneth Bingell, 34, of Montville, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release for distributing heroin and fentanyl.

According to prosecutors, the FBI and Norwich police began an investigation after several overdoses occurred in a short period. Investigators found that in 2017 and 2018, Juan Reyes worked with Michael Nieves to supply heroin and fentanyl to dealers, including Bingell and others, who regularly traveled from eastern Connecticut to Hartford to buy drugs.

Bingell and others then sold the drugs to customers in Norwich and New London. Investigators linked seven overdoses, four fatal and three non-fatal, to Reyes and Nieves.

In 2018, Bingell and others burglarized a home in Plainfield and stole three guns, according to the statement. Police then recovered two of the guns, but Bingell and another person sold the third gun to Reyes and Nieves in exchange for 100 bags of heroin/fentanyl and $150.

Bingell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl on June 8.

He has been detained since he was arrested on unrelated state charges in 2019.