Hartford man hit with new federal charge

A Connecticut man is charged with drug dealing and gun offenses, according to federal authorities.

Luis Dejesus, 29, of Hartford, was initially charged in 2023 with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to federal authorities.

However, on Feb. 20, 2024, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Dejesus with an additional count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, according to federal authorities.

Authorities, citing both court documents and statements made in court, said Dejesus’s “criminal history includes felony convictions in state court for criminal possession of a firearm and burglary in the third degree.”

But in 2022, the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force — North Central Office did a “series of controlled purchases of narcotics from Dejesus,” authorities said.

When Dejesus was arrested on state charges on Dec. 16, 2022, a court-authorized search of his Hartford residence turned up an estimated 500 grams of fentanyl, 97 grams of crack cocaine, about one kilogram of marijuana, drug processing and packaging materials, a loaded Glock 45 9 mm handgun, and about $52,000 cash.

The case was then adopted for federal prosecution and a grand jury returned the initial indictment on March 7, 2023.

Authorities also alleged that, after his federal arrest, Dejesus was free on a $100,000 bond and in home confinement at a family member’s house in Hartford, and when law enforcement executed a search warrant there Dejesus threw fentanyl out of a window.

“A search of the residence revealed an additional quantity of fentanyl, a small quantity of cocaine, and drug processing and packaging materials,” authorities said in a statement. “In total, Dejesus is alleged to have possessed more than 400 grams of fentanyl on that date.”

If convicted, Dejesus faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for each of the narcotics offenses, and maximum of 15 years for the gun charge, authorities said.

Dejesus has been detained since Nov. 20, 2023; he appeared in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the superseding indictment, authorities said

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Resident Office and the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force — North Central Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.