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James Lee, age 24, of New Haven, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 29, according to Leonard C Boyle, Acting US Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Wednesday, March 13, New Haven Police approached Lee as he was sitting in a car at a gas station.
The car had fled from police on Monday, March 8. A search of Lee revealed $3,815 and a search of the car turned up another $3,443.
Officers then found a hidden compartment in the vehicle’s center counsel that contained heroin, crack, and cocaine packaged for distribution, and a loaded 9mm handgun, the complaint said.
On the morning of Monday, April 5, a New Haven Police detective traveling in an unmarked police cruiser in the area of Orange Street and Wall Street identified another car that had fled from West Haven Police during an attempted traffic stop.
The detective followed the car to a location on Brown Street, where he observed occupants of the vehicle engage in what appeared to be street-level drug transactions, and then to a location on Elm Street, the complaint said.
On Elm Street, Lee, who had been released on bond, and Darryl Russell exited the car and entered a building. Lee was arrested after he exited the building.
Russell ignored commands not to leave the scene but was apprehended a short distance away after he was found hiding in a trash can.
A search of their car revealed heroin, crack, and cocaine packaged for distribution, and more than $2,000 in cash.
Lee has been detained since April 5. He is scheduled to be sentenced in December at which time he faces up to 20 years in prison.
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