Hartford Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBINSON CRUCETTS, also known as “Robi,” 50, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2013, the DEA New Haven Task Force began investigating a heroin trafficking organization headed by members of the Estevez family who lived in New York and the Dominican Republic.  The investigation revealed that William Suarez, 41, of New Haven, and Ivan Estrada, 43, of Wallingford, were street-level dealers in New Haven who regularly obtained heroin from CRUCETTS and Martin Rodriguez, 50, in Hartford.  The investigation further revealed that CRUCETTS was receiving kilogram quantities of heroin from Carlos Gabriel Estevez, 23, of Ozone Park, N.Y.; Jimmy Estevez, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Miguel Estevez, also known as “Domi,” 27, of the Bronx, N.Y.; and Josue Ortiz, 27, of East Hartford.

On December 31, 2013, in response to court-authorized intercepts of calls and texts, investigators surveilled Ortiz as he drove from Connecticut to a parking lot in New Rochelle, N.Y., where he met Carlos Gabriel Estevez.  After Estevez provided Ortiz with two brick-like packages, Ortiz drove back to Connecticut.  A Connecticut State Police trooper conducted a motor vehicle stop of Ortiz as he was driving on I-95 in Milford and seized two bricks of heroin, each weighing approximately 500 grams, from a natural cavity in the vehicle’s wall.  Subsequent investigation revealed that one of the bricks of heroin was to be delivered to CRUCETTS.

CRUCETTS was arrested at his Hartford residence on September 3, 2014.  When investigators entered the residence, they found CRUCETTS attempting to swallow several bags of heroin.  Investigators also found and seized $18,985 in cash.

On September 17, 2014, a federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment charging CRUCETTS and his seven co-defendant with heroin trafficking and money laundering offenses.

On September 17, 2015, CRUCETTS pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

On December 8, 2015, a jury found Carlos Gabriel Estevez guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, one kilogram or more of heroin.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2016.

The other six defendants previously pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven Task Force, with the assistance of the DEA Hartford Task Force and the DEA in New York.  The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone and Brian P. Leaming.