Waterbury Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PIERRE JOSHWAN RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Ochy,” 42, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 210 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for heading a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force determined that Rodriguez headed a cocaine trafficking operation in which parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine were concealed within boxed Bluetooth speakers and shipped through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico to multiple addresses in Waterbury.  Rodriguez distributed the cocaine in the Waterbury area and mailed money parcels back to Puerto Rico.  Felix Ortega-Pagan assisted Rodriguez by frequently picking up the cocaine parcels and delivering them to Rodriguez at various stash locations.  Alejandra Santiago-Miranda was a frequent mailer of cocaine parcels from Puerto Rico to Waterbury and was also the recipient of multiple money parcels.  Rodriguez and Ortega-Pagan also converted some of the cocaine into crack cocaine.

Investigators seized approximately 28 kilograms of cocaine during the investigation.

On November 20, 2020, investigators searched Rodriguez’s residence and seized evidence of the cocaine distribution conspiracy, $56,008 in cash, and jewelry.  Rodriguez remained at large until February 17, 2021.  He possessed $5,540.00, four cellphones, and jewelry at the time of his arrest.

In total, law enforcement seized from Rodriguez a total of $455,308.83 in cash and from a bank account, jewelry appraised at $509,045, a 2019 Polaris Slingshot, a 2013 BMW X6, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 2020 Can Am Spyder Roadster, and a 2015 Toyota Sienna.

Rodriguez’s criminal history spans more than 25 years and includes multiple drug convictions.  In 2013, he was sentenced in state court to 15 years of incarceration, suspended after 90 months, for possession with intent to sell.

Rodriguez has been detained since February 17, 2021.  On August 18, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine.

Ortega-Pagan and Santiago-Miranda pleaded guilty to related charges and have been sentenced.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, and Waterbury Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.

The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Rodríguez was designated as a Regional Priority Organization Target (RPOT) under the OCDETF Program.

Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.