16 Indicted On Federal Drug, Gun Charges

NEW HAVEN — A grand jury in federal court in New Haven has charged 16 individuals, most of them from Hartford or the Hartford area, with drug and gun charges.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg , special agent in charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody Tuesday announced the indictments.

In a joint release, the said a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 27-count indictment charging 16 individuals with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses stemming from the gang-related distribution of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack.

They were: Luis Feliciano, a.k.a. Louminaty, 38, of East Hartford; Jose Tirado, a.k.a. “Joselito” and “Leet,” 41, of Hartford; Carl Jones, a.k.a. “M.O.B.,” 41, of Hartford; Luis Robles, a.k.a. “Lou,” 25, of Hartford; Roberto Diaz, a.k.a. “Dragon Eyes,” 52, of West Hartford; Milton Rosario, a.k.a. “Little,” 39, of Hartford; Angel Delgado, 58, of Hartford; Martin Maldonado, 33, of Hartford; Jeremy Ozuna, 27, of New Jersey; Robert Valle, 58, of Schenectady, N.Y.; Marsha Watson, 33, of Bangor, Maine; Devin Texira, a.k.a. “LV,” 25, of Hartford; Joshua Rodriguez, 31, of Hartford; Joel Deleon Jr., a.k.a. “Psycho,” 41, of Hartford; Heriburto Mendez, a.k.a. “Big Ed,” 43, of Hartford; and Christopher Gilliard, a.k.a. “CJ” and “Gilly,” 34, of Hartford.

The indictment, which was returned on June 8, alleges Feliciano and several co-defendants distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, and also to Watson in Bangor, Maine, and Ozuna and Valle in Schenectady, N.Y.

The indictment also alleges several defendants unlawfully possessed firearms.

Feliciano was arrested April 13, after searches of his East Hartford residence and a Hartford apartment he used to store drugs revealed more than 3 kilograms of heroin, approximately 700 grams of fentanyl, quantities of crack and powder cocaine, and 40 rounds of ammunition.

The other defendants have been detained in state custody or were arrested by members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force after the indictment was returned.

The indictment charges Feliciano, Tirado, Jones, Robles, Diaz, Rosario, Delgado, Maldonado, Ozuna, Valle and Watson with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.

Feliciano, Jones, Tirado, Rodriguez, Delgado, Deleon, Robles and Gilliard are charged in one or more counts with various narcotics distribution offenses.

The indictment also charges Jones, Tirado, Texira, Deleon and Mendez with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; Feliciano with unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon; and Robles with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.

The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.

The case is being prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Robert S. Ruff.