New Haven Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOEL MARTINEZ, JR., 24, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 17, 2020, during a court-authorized search of a New Haven hotel room being used by Martinez to process and package narcotics, law enforcement seized a loaded Glock model 26, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number; a box of 9mm ammunition; approximately 51 grams of cocaine; approximately 136 grams of a fentanyl/heroin mixture; 12 digital scales; three blenders; other items used to process and package narcotics; and $1,825 in cash. Martinez was arrested on state charges at that time.
Martinez has been detained since his federal arrest on October 14, 2020. On April 25, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, and to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara E. Levens.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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