Man Who Dealt Heroin Out Of Hartford Grocery Store, Illegally Possessed Gun, Sentenced To Federal Prison

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JESUS AGOSTO, also known as “Gordo,” 24, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and illegally possessing a firearm. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2013, law enforcement received information that AGOSTO was selling significant quantities of heroin out of the Family Beltre Grocery store located on Broad Street in Hartford, and that AGOSTO was allegedly involved in illegal firearm trafficking.  In July and August 2013, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of heroin from AGOSTO at the grocery store.

AGOSTO has been detained since his arrest on September 11, 2013.  On that date, investigators executed search warrants at the grocery store and AGOSTO’s nearby apartment.  The search of the apartment revealed a .9mm semi-automatic handgun, a magazine loaded with seven rounds of .9mm ammunition, a shoe-box with narcotics-related materials and approximately $25,000 in cash.

AGOSTO was previously convicted of robbery in the first degree after he and an associate robbed a woman at gun point.

It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

On July 1, 2014, AGOSTO pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. 

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Hartford Task Force, including the Hartford, New Britain, Bristol, Wethersfield, Newington and Manchester Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

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