Waterbury man had $50K, drugs, ghost gun in home

Resident known as ‘Mimo’ gets 10 years after conviction for role in fentanyl trafficking

A Waterbury man convicted by a federal jury of participating in a fentanyl-trafficking operation has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Ramon Oquendo, who also goes by “Mimo,” 46, was sentenced in federal court in New Haven Thursday before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall, who ordered his prison term to be followed by four years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Oquendo was arrested in October 2021 after authorities searched his residence and found about 100 grams of fentanyl, 64 grams of crack cocaine, 102 grams of methamphetamine, “a large quantity of marijuana,” a polymer 80 privately made firearm — commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” — ammunition, narcotics processing and packaging materials and nearly $50,000, federal officials said.

Oquendo was implicated while the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force was investigating a drug trafficking network led by Waterbury resident Landdy Rodriguez, according to federal officials.

In August 2021, investigators intercepted phone calls that revealed Rodriguez arranged for Oquendo to supply fentanyl to other drug distributors, including Sylvester Vann, also known as “Bug,” of Waterbury and Pedro Diaz of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, officials said.

Between August and October 2021, investigators conducted physical surveillance and observed Oquendo engaging in multiple drug transactions with Vann and Diaz, according to federal officials. Following one of the transactions in August 2021, officials said, a Pennsylvania state trooper pulled Diaz over in Pennsylvania and seized 48 grams of fentanyl.

Oquendo, who has been detained since his arrest, was found guilty by a jury on March 2 of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.

Federal officials said Oquendo’s criminal history includes convictions for felony drug and firearm offenses, which bars him from possessing guns or ammunition.

Officials said that Rodriguez, Vann, and Diaz pleaded guilty to related charges and have been sentenced.