Thirteen arrested after investigation into drug trafficking from New Britain car dealership

Date: Nov. 15, 2024

Contact: [email protected]

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, and New Britain Police Chief Matthew Marino today announced that the following 13 individuals were arrested yesterday on federal criminal complaints charging each with drug distribution offenses:

• Wilfredo Ortiz, aka "Will" and "P," of Bristol
• Michael Luisi, aka, "Mike," of Berlin
• Eli Samuel Ofarrill-Fernandez, aka "Eli" and "Maple," of New Britain
• Samuel Martinez, aka "Sammy," of Rocky Hill
• Tashia Bridges, aka "Cheena," of Torrington
• Dimas Rodriguez, aka "Dima" and "D," of Meriden
• Jose M. Ortiz of New Britain
• Jose L. Ortiz of New Britain
• Richard Beaudoin, aka "Rich," of Newington
• Richard Zina, aka "Rich," of Ludlow, Mass.
• Curtis Rooth, aka "Scooter," of Portland
• Jose Rivera of Rocky Hill
• Jemuel Vega-Gomez of New Britain

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, since February 2024, the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and New Britain Police Department have been conducting an investigation into a drug trafficking organization, headed by Wilfredo Ortiz and Michael Luisi, that was operating out of Supreme Automotive, a car dealership located at 494 Main Street in New Britain. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and approximately 15 controlled purchases of narcotics, primarily cocaine.

In association with yesterday's arrests, investigators conducted court authorized searches of Supreme Automotive and residences and other locations connected to the drug trafficking organization and seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately 30 grams of heroin, a kilogram press, seven firearms, ammunition, approximately $75,000 in cash, and 26 vehicles.

Each defendant is currently charged with possession with intent to distribute/distribution of controlled substances, and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, which carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Certain defendants may face additional charges and penalties.

Wilfredo Ortiz, Luisi, Ofarrill-Fernandez, Martinez, Bridges, Rodriguez, Rooth, and Vega-Gomez are currently detained, and Jose M. Ortiz, Jose L. Ortiz, Beaudoin, Zina, and Rivera are released on bond.

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

This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police, and the New Britain, Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Naugatuck, East Hartford, Brookfield, Milford, Norwich, Orange, North Haven, Meriden, Berlin, and Manchester Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth, Reed Durham, and David Nelson through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.