New Britain man sentenced to over five years in prison for trafficking cocaine

A 30-year-old New Britain man was sentenced to over five years in prison on cocaine trafficking charges Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Rigoberto Mateo-silva, also known as “Bori,” was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Vanessa Bryant in Hartford.

A Drug Enforcement Administration investigator found that Mateo-silva and an associate, Shabazz Valentine, were acquiring large amounts of narcotics from California suppliers in exchange for large sums of cash sent through the mail, according to court records.

On July 6, 2020, investigators searched Valentine’s residence in Rocky Hill, an apartment in Hartford, two locations used to store narcotics in East Hartford and his car. Police seized a large amount of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics, firearms, ammunition and approximately $700,000 in cash, according to court records.

The search of Valentine’s car yielded tracking receipts for two packages that were recently shipped via Fedex to a location in California. Police later located and seized the packages and found over $160,000 in cash, court records said.

Mateo-silva was at one of the East Hartford locations when investigators arrived. Officers found approximately 75 grams of cocaine and over $100,000 in cash, according to court records. As the investigation continued in the Spring of 2021, Mateo-silva acquired four kilograms of cocaine through a California supplier, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Mateo-silva has been detained since his arrest on June 25, 2021. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to sell 500 grams or more of cocaine on July 20, 2022.

Valentine pleaded guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.