Stratford resident Luis Colon, age 51, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars Tuesday, July 12, in federal court in Hartford.
It followed his March 2021 guilty pleas to charges of conspiring to possess and distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Federal prosecutors said Colon, who is also known as “Big Lou” and “Hitman,” sold approximately 300 fentanyl pills that were disguised as oxycodone to a co-conspirator.
Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Experts say it's often added to other drugs, leading to a spike in overdose deaths across the United States.
Colon was arrested in December 2020 after members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force searched his home on Dover Street in Stratford.
Inside, police found 11 firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and approximately 50 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone.
They also recovered around 61 grams of cocaine with packaging to sell and nearly $25,000 in cash.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, Colon’s criminal history includes state convictions for conspiracy to commit murder, assault, and robbery. As such, he was not allowed to possess a gun or ammunition that has moved in interstate commerce under federal law.
Colon was released on a $150,000 bond and must report to prison on Sept. 12.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford, East Hartford, New Britain, and West Hartford police departments, as well as Connecticut State Police and the Department of Corrections.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hartford and receive free news updates.