News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2006

East Hartford Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Using Telephone in Cocaine Deal

June W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSE TIRADO, age 36, of 44 Home Terrace, East Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced yesterday, April 3, by United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for using a telephone to facilitate the commission of narcotics trafficking felony.  TIRADO pleaded guilty to the charge on August 3, 2005.

TIRADO’s conviction stems from an investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of a cocaine trafficking operation headed by Luis Santiago in New Britain, Connecticut, in late 2001.  According to documents files with the Court and statements made in court, the DEA intercepted telephone calls between TIRADO and Santiago in which TIRADO agreed to order a quantity of cocaine on Santiago’s behalf, and in which he agreed to test the quality of narcotics procured by Santiago.

TIRADO remained a fugitive for approximately three years until his arrest in February 2005.

Santiago pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking charges in April 2002.  On May 27, 2003, Judge Thompson sentenced Santiago to 108 months of imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the DEA’s Hartford Resident Office.