New Britain man pleads guilty to trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine into CT from West Coast
A New Britain man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge connected to a multi-agency investigation that showed he was involved in trafficking fentanyl and cocaine from the West Coast to Connecticut.
Ramon Ramos-Acevedo, 48, took a plea bargain in federal court in Hartford on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
Federal officials said he pleaded guilty during the hearing to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a minimum of 10 years behind bars and a maximum of life imprisonment.
Ramos-Acevedo, who has been detained since his arrest on Dec. 1, 2022, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15.
According to federal officials, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified suspicious packages in 2022 that were being sent to a New Britain address connected to Ramos-Acevedo and his associate, 48-year-old Victor Rodriguez-Gomez, also known as “Calami,” of Desert Hot Springs, California. Authorities used a search warrant to inspect one package, which was mailed from California, and discovered about one kilogram of fentanyl and a kilogram of heroin inside, federal officials said.
In July 2022, USPIS investigators in San Bernardino, California, contacted Connecticut authorities to report that a court-authorized search of a package that was addressed to a residence on Willow Street in New Britain turned up eight cell phones, according to officials.
On Aug. 1, 2022, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the package in New Britain and observed Ramos-Acevedo and Rodriguez-Gomez take possession of it, officials said. Ten days later, Ramos-Acevedo was seen by authorities in California mailing packages to an address in New Britain.
Officials said authorities also were able to identify several more suspicious packages “associated with” Ramos-Acevedo.
During the investigation, authorities said they “developed evidence” that Rodriguez-Gomez had an associate who used a van to transport narcotics from California or another unspecified location in the southwestern part of the country to addresses in Connecticut that were associated with Ramos-Acevedo. On Aug. 25, 2022, investigators observed Ramos-Acevedo unloading items from the van in New Britain.
About two weeks later, members of the Connecticut State Police were assisting with surveillance when they stopped a vehicle that Ramos-Acevedo was driving in Newington for a motor vehicle violation. Rodriguez-Gomez was a passenger in the vehicle.
After a K-9 alerted to several items within the vehicle, a search turned up just under $180,000 and nine cell phones. A subsequent search of a house in Farmington where Ramos-Acevedo was reportedly living led to the seizure of about $30,000.
Then on Nov. 30, 2022, the Iowa State Patrol stopped Rodriguez-Gomez’s associate in the van that had been identified months prior as being involved in the trafficking operation, according to officials. Authorities searched the vehicle and found about 22 kilograms of cocaine and two kilograms of fentanyl, which officials said was headed for Ramos-Acevedo in New Britain.
Rodriguez-Gomez has been detained since his arrest on Dec. 4, 2022. According to officials, he pleaded guilty to the same charge as Ramos-Acevedo last December and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8.