July 23, 2014

New London Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge Related to 2012 Homicide

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, New London Police Chief Margaret Ackley and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that JOSE ROSADO, JR., also known as “Gugie,” 21, of New London, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering, and aiding and abetting the same. The charge stems from the September 2012 homicide of Javier Reyes, 36, of New London.

According to court documents and statements made in court, ROSADO was an associate of a criminal organization that distributed marijuana, cocaine and other narcotics from the “Green Garages,” a series of garage bays located as 12/14 Walker Street in New London. In the summer of 2011, the leader of the Green Garages organization was the intended victim of a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by former members of his enterprise in an attempt to take over narcotics distribution at the Green Garages. It is alleged that the leader of the organization orchestrated the assault of Javier Reyes to maintain his leadership position. ROSADO and others were hired to carry out the assault of Reyes in exchange for cash.

On the evening of September 12, 2012, Reyes was stabbed multiple times outside of his apartment at 187 Huntington Street in New London, and died a short time later. He also had blunt force trauma to the back of his head.

Video surveillance at the time of the attack shows ROSADO, carrying a bat, and another individual, creeping toward Reyes and then running away from him about 15 seconds later.

ROSADO has been detained since his arrest on January 15, 2014. When he is sentenced, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The alleged leader of the Green Garages organization, the other individual seen in the surveillance video and the individual who allegedly recruited ROSADO have been indicted as a result of this investigation. U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. A trial is scheduled for February 2015.

This matter is being investigated by the New London Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Squad, the Connecticut Department of Correction, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and the New London State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Sarah Karwan, and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Paul Narducci.