Convicted Felon Arrested On Gun, Drug Charges: Stratford Police

STRATFORD, CT — A convicted felon with nearly 30 prior arrests was arrested last Thursday on gun and drug charges after the execution of search warrants in Stratford and Bridgeport, according to Stratford police.

The Stratford Police Department’s Narcotics, Vice and Intelligence Unit learned in January of a “mid-level narcotics dealer” who was supplying narcotics to street-level narcotics dealers within Stratford and Bridgeport, according to Stratford Police Capt. Jerry Pinto.

Pinto said the NVI Unit’s investigation culminated around 6:30 a.m. on March 26 with three search warrants. One was on Enrica Rita Way in Stratford, another one was at the Bridgeport Innovation Center, at 955 Connecticut Avenue in Bridgeport, and a third search warrant was obtained for 40-year-old Ernest Samuel, according to Pinto.

Pinto said Samuel was taken into custody on Enrica Rita Way in Stratford. Samuel is a convicted felon with 27 prior arrests, many of which are “narcotics related,” according to Pinto.

The execution of the search warrants resulted in the seizure of a loaded Smith & Wesson .32 caliber revolver, 82.3 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 113 grams of marijuana and $409 in cash, according to Pinto.

Samuel was arrested on charges of criminal possession of a firearm/ammunition, illegal transfer/ purchase of a firearm, illegal operation of a drug factory, illegal possession of heroin with intent to sell and illegal sale of a non-hallucinogenic substance (marijuana)/subsequent offense.

He was being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond with a court date of April 7.

“The NVI Unit received assistance throughout this investigation from the Bridgeport DEA Task Force, the Bridgeport FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Task Force,” Pinto wrote in a news release.