News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2006

New York Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Trafficking Charge Stemming From Bridgeport Drug Investigation

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 CARLOS BAEZ, age 50 (DOB 07/25/55), of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty yesterday, July 11, before United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, in June 2005, the Bridgeport DEA’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force commenced an investigation into a cocaine trafficking operation in Bridgeport, which eventually included court-authorized wiretaps of telephones used by certain members of the operation, and closed circuit television monitoring of an office used by the traffickers for narcotics-related activities. In pleading guilty, BAEZ admitted that, from June 2005 to February 2006, he regularly supplied kilogram-sized quantities of cocaine to individuals who then distributed it throughout the Bridgeport area. BAEZ admitted that he provided the Bridgeport distributors with more than 12 kilograms of cocaine.

BAEZ was arrested in New York on April 29, and he and several others were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 2, 2006.

Judge Underhill has scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2006, at which time BAEZ faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, which includes the Stratford, Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, and Easton Police Departments.