JUSTIN CABRERA, a 26-year-old member of the Waterbury street gang 960, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison. Cabrera, also known as "J.U.," received this sentence from U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport. Following his imprisonment, he will be subject to three years of supervised release. The case relates to his involvement with the 960 gang's criminal activities in Waterbury.
The announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.
The court documents and statements reveal that the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been actively investigating the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, Cabrera and 15 others were indicted on charges including racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, and attempted murder.
The charges stem from an incident on October 31, 2017, where Cabrera and other gang members carried out a drive-by shooting against a rival gang, ATM, resulting in injuries to an ATM member. Cabrera was said to have driven a "trail car" for the shooters.
Cabrera has been detained since September 16, 2021, and pleaded guilty in 2024 to attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as firearm-related crimes in aid of racketeering.
The investigation involved various agencies, including the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, ATF, and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys and State's Attorneys designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys.
This prosecution aligns with the Justice Department's Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN unites different levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime, while OCDETF targets drug traffickers and criminal organizations.
Additional information about these programs can be accessed on the Justice Department's website.
