David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Jelson Perez, also known as “Spank,” aged 42 from Norwalk, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. This sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford for narcotics trafficking activities around Norwalk.
Court documents and statements indicate that the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Norwalk Police Department initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization in May 2023. The organization was found distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Norwalk. The investigation involved court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics and uncovered the transportation of kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Texas and Ohio, along with fentanyl and heroin from New York City. These substances were distributed in Norwalk through individuals including Perez, who also brokered a firearm purchase for another group member.
Perez was arrested on April 29, 2024, alongside several associates. Federal search warrants led to the seizure of approximately 15,000 dose bags of suspected fentanyl, about 350 grams of raw heroin, quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, a handgun with ammunition, and a vehicle.
Since his arrest, Perez has been detained. He pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025 to conspiracy charges related to distributing over 40 grams of fentanyl along with heroin and cocaine.
The ongoing investigation is conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies including the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force comprising personnel from various police departments across Connecticut as well as the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham are prosecuting this case under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
