A Hartford man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of fentanyl and firearms as a convicted felon, officials said.
Elvin "Peewee" Gonzalez, 45, appeared in court in New Haven on Thursday and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to 87 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for selling narcotics to undercover agents and being found in possession of multiple drugs and firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Gonzalez and an East Hartford man named Jose "Chepo" Rivera reportedly sold fentanyl and crack cocaine to members of the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department in June 2021, according to court records.
Both men were arrested on June 25, 2021, leading investigators to search their homes.
In Gonzalez's Hartford home, investigators found about 4,000 dose bags of fentanyl, 139 grams of crack, about 18 grams of cocaine, two loaded handguns, a loaded rifle and additional ammunition, officials said.
The rifle and one of the handguns had been reported stolen, records show.
Gonzalez, a convicted felon, was not allowed to be in possession of firearms. His lengthy criminal record includes convictions connected to narcotics, robbery and other crimes in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, officials said.
In Rivera's home, investigators found another 162 grams of fentanyl, 300 dose bags of fentanyl, a handgun and loaded magazine, $19,000 in cash and items used to process and package narcotics for sale, records show.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon in November 2021. He has been released from custody on bond but is now required to report to prison on June 7, officials said.
Rivera is still awaiting sentencing. He pleaded guilty to the same offenses last month, officials said.
