West Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAYVIAN RODRIGUEZ, 25, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 126 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2021, West Hartford Police developed information that Rodriguez was distributing narcotics. Rodriguez was arrested on state charges on September 3, 2021, after a court authorized search of his Prospect Avenue residence revealed nearly 600 grams of fentanyl, approximately 18 grams of crack cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. The search also revealed a 9mm Glock-style privately manufactured firearm (“ghost gun”) with an attached laser sight and a “Glock switch” auto sear device, a handgun magazine containing 28 rounds ammunition, and approximately 200 rounds of additional ammunition. The Glock switch enabled the handgun to fire fully automatically as a machinegun.
Rodriguez was on state probation for prior gun and drug convictions at the time of the search.
Rodriguez, who was released on bond after his state arrest, has been detained since his federal arrest on December 15, 2021. On November 2, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the West Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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