Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Derrick Bailey, also known as “Fry,” 44, of Hartford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 105 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.

This matter stems from Operation Vinefield, a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford. The investigation revealed that Bailey distributed crack cocaine to co-defendants who redistributed the drug to numerous street-level dealers, including gang members, in the area of Enfield Street in Hartford.

Bailey’s criminal history includes multiple narcotics-related felony convictions, as well as a firearms conviction.

Bailey has been detained since his arrest on May 9, 2012. On January 2, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).

This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.