John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JULIO PARIS, also known as “Moreno,” 24, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and fentanyl.
Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the court proceeding occurred via videoconference.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department revealed that Nestor Sosa-Ortiz operated a Waterbury-based drug trafficking organization that received large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics throughout New Haven County. The organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and to process and package the drugs for street sale. After Nestor Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators.
The investigation revealed that Paris purchased distribution quantities of heroin and fentanyl from another member of the organization and sold the drugs in smaller quantities to his own customer base.
Sixteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.
Paris has been detained since his arrest on state drug charges on August 14, 2019.
On October 29, 2019, in association with the arrest of several of Paris’ co-defendants, law enforcement officers executed five search warrants and seized approximately six kilograms of suspected heroin/fentanyl, approximately 100,000 bags of suspected heroin/fentanyl packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm and approximately $50,000 in cash.
On May 28, 2020, Paris pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
Paris’ criminal history includes multiple state convictions for narcotics and other offenses.
Sosa-Ortiz pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Lauren Clark and Brendan Keefe.
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