Newington Man Charged with Drug and Gun Offenses

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging MARTIN DELGADO, 29, of Newington, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.

The indictment was returned on July 31, 2024, and Delgado was arrested this morning. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained.

As alleged in statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado's Newington residence and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, and narcotics packaging materials. Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford. Officers located a 9mm handgun near Delgado's residence that he appeared to have discarded as he fled. Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond.

It is alleged that Delgado's criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug distribution offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

The indictment charges Delgado with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.