Jovanni Reyes made his plea before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven, said U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Deirdre M. Daly.
In late 2016, Bridgeport Police made three controlled purchases of heroin from Reyes, according to court documents and statements made in court.
On Dec. 8, 2016, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Reyes’s Voight Avenue residence and seized more than 120 folds of heroin and a loaded 9mm handgun. The firearm had been reported stolen.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 12, at which time Reyes faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
He has been detained since his federal arrest on Jan. 25.
This prosecution stems from Project Longevity, an initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.
Community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to violence. A critical component of the Project Longevity strategy is the “call-in,” a face-to-face meeting where Project Longevity partners engage group members and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
Reyes attended a call-in in 2015, and declined Project Longevity services that were offered to him.
This case has been investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Vanessa Richards.
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