Feds: Heroin trafficker sentenced to prison
A New Jersey man, who was allegedly the source of heroin for two brothers involved in a trafficking operation throughout Fairfield County, was sentenced to prison Friday, the Department of Justice said.
David Monseratte Torres, 30, of New Jersey, was sentenced to serve 14 years and two months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
Court documents showed Torres’ arrest and charges stemmed from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Po- lice Department and state police.
The agencies were investigating a drug trafficking organization led by Wilfredo “Bean” Gutierrez and his brother Bobby “B.O.” Gutierrez, the DOJ said. Their investigation led to court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and surveillance.
During the investigation, police found that Wilfredo Gutierrez, Bobby Gutierrez and several others conspired to distribute at least 10 kilograms of heroin across Fairfield County between Sept. 2015 and May 2016.
“Torres was the Gutierrez brothers’ main source of heroin for several years,” the DOJ said.
Police took Torres into custody on May 31, 2016.
On July 5, 2016, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. The DOJ said he admitted he was involved in the distribution of more than 30 kilograms of heroin.
Nine people were charged through the heroin trafficking investigation in Fairfield County; all of them pleaded guilty. Torres was the last to be sentenced.
On March 16, 2017, Wilfredo Gutierrez was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
On April 24, 2017, Bobby Gutierrez was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison. He was also ordered to forfeit $171,462 in cash.
After Torres pleaded guilty in Connecticut, and while he was released on bond pending sentencing, he bought a synthetic opioid — known as “Pink” — through the dark web, the DOJ said.
On March 7, 2017, he was arrested by the DEA in New York. The officers searched him and his car and found about 60 grams of the synthetic opioid, about 100 grams of heroin and $8,600 in cash, the DOJ said. Torres has been detained since his March 2017 arrest.
Torres pleaded guilty in New York on April 13 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. He awaits sentencing for that charge.