News Release [print-friendly version]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2007

Danbury Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison

JUN 18 -- June W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that BENNY RAMIREZ, age 25, of Danbury, was sentenced on Friday, June 15, by United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. On April 27, 2006, RAMIREZ pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

RAMIREZ’s conviction is the result of a long-term, cooperative investigation between the Drug Enforcement Administration in Bridgeport and the Danbury Police Department into a large-scale cocaine and crack cocaine distribution ring in Danbury headed by Alex Luna. During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted several months of surveillance of suspected drug traffickers, made numerous undercover purchases, and utilized federal wiretaps on five different telephones. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted searches of several residences in Connecticut and New York and recovered cocaine and crack cocaine, semi-automatic firearms, ammunition, drug-packaging materials, narcotics paraphernalia, and United States currency.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, Bobby Medina was Luna’s right-hand man and managed the group’s drug-distribution activities. Suppliers in New York City made frequent trips to Danbury to deliver kilogram-sized quantities of cocaine to Luna and Medina. When making these deliveries, the suppliers would travel in cars containing secret compartments that were designed to hold contraband, such as narcotics, to elude detection by law enforcement. Luna, Medina and their associates would also travel regularly to various meeting places in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan to pick up illegal narcotics. Once the drugs were received, Luna, Medina and others would go to various hotels in the Danbury area to process and package the cocaine and crack cocaine for street sale. RAMIREZ was an associate of Medina’s in this narcotics distribution conspiracy.

Twenty-four individuals in Danbury and New York City were arrested, charged, and convicted as a result of this intensive investigation. On April 3, 2007, Judge Underhill sentenced Luna to 30 years of imprisonment. On April 10, 2007, Medina was sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Danbury Police Department.