John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHRISTIAN PATTERSON, 20, of Hartford, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack").
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-related drug distribution and associated violence in north Hartford. On Aug. 28, 2019, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and crack from Patterson.
Patterson was arrested on Sept. 13, 2019. He has been detained since Dec. 11, 2019, when his bond was revoked.
Judge Bolden scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2020, at which time Patterson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
