United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CRUZ J. BONILLA, 41, of New London, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to approximately 52 months of imprisonment, time already served, and six years of supervised release, the first six months of which Bonilla must serve in home detention, for trafficking narcotics and for violating his conditions of supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2014, Bonilla was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 68 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for distributing heroin.  He was released from federal prison in October 2019.

On four occasions between March and May 2020, an undercover law enforcement officer purchased heroin/fentanyl from Bonilla.  During the investigation, law enforcement identified William Caraballo III, also known as “Wilo,” as Bonilla’s drug supplier and learned that Caraballo regularly transported kilogram quantities of heroin/fentanyl from New York to southeastern Connecticut for distribution.

Bonilla has been detained since his federal arrest on August 26, 2020.  On July 30, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance.

Caraballo pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on December 12, 2024, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Natasha M. Freismuth.