Willie Franco, 37, of New Haven, has been sentenced to 280 months in federal prison and ten years of supervised release for narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven. Franco also received the sentence for violating conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court records and statements made during the proceedings, Franco had previously been sentenced in August 2016 to 80 months in prison and ten years of supervised release for distributing crack cocaine and heroin. That investigation also determined that he distributed heroin in January 2015 to an individual in East Haven who later died after ingesting the drug. Franco was released from federal custody in December 2020.
In 2021, authorities began investigating renewed narcotics trafficking activities involving Franco and his then girlfriend, Daniella Fox. Investigators discovered that starting around February 2021, parcels suspected of containing narcotics were mailed from Arizona and California to addresses linked with Franco and Fox. The investigation connected two overdose deaths in Branford and Guilford in August 2021, as well as one overdose death in Milford in September 2021, to drugs distributed by Franco.
In March 2022, law enforcement intercepted a parcel addressed to East Haven associated with Franco and Fox; it contained about one kilogram each of cocaine and fentanyl. On March 7, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of this package. After Fox retrieved it while she and Franco waited nearby, both were arrested. A subsequent search at their New Haven residence led to the seizure of over one kilogram of fentanyl, some crack cocaine, digital scales, packaging materials for narcotics, a loaded Glock .40 pistol with its serial number removed, an extended magazine for a rifle, a bulletproof vest, ammunition, and more than $300,000 cash.
Analysis of cellphones seized from Franco showed hundreds of videos documenting his drug trafficking activity and firearm possession. In some recordings meant for his suppliers, Franco complained about the potency of fentanyl provided: "he complains that the fentanyl is not strong enough and says he needs fentanyl strong enough to kill people."
Franco has remained detained since his arrest. On February 26, 2025, a jury convicted him on charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
The case was investigated by several agencies including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force—which includes members from multiple local police departments—and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with assistance from state police departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Hal Chen prosecuted the case.
