United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov

March 3, 2008

MERIDEN MAN SENTENCED TO 100 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DEALING CRACK COCAINE

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LUIS GONZALEZ, 32, of Meriden, Connecticut, was sentenced on Thursday, February 28, by Senior United States District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in New Haven to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”). GONZALEZ pleaded guilty to the charge on August 24, 2007.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, the charge against GONZALEZ stems from intercepted telephone conversations between him and Milton Roman and him and Wilfredo Abrahante, who were both the targets of a wiretap investigation between April and June 2006. During the course of the conspiracy, GONZALEZ purchased between five and 20 grams of crack cocaine from Roman and Abrahante and redistributed it to others in the Meriden area.

GONZALEZ has been in state custody since July 2006 on unrelated convictions for second degree robbery and third degree assault. Judge Dorsey ordered the federal sentence to be served concurrent to the remaining portion of the state sentence, which expires on June 30, 2009, but Judge Dorsey did not give GONZALEZ credit toward the federal sentence for the 20 months that he has been incarcerated on the state charge.

On October 4, 2006, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging GONZALEZ, Roman, Abrahante and 32 others. On December 13, 2007, Roman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and five kilograms or more of powder cocaine. He awaits sentencing and faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years. On December 6, 2007, Abrahante pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine. He awaits sentencing and faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

This investigation was a collaborative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Meriden Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert M. Spector and S. Dave Vatti.