Armed Hamden Drug Distributor Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LATRELL ROUNTREE, also known as “Roundtree,” 28, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation into Rountree and his associates determined that Rountree was stashing narcotics in his apartment on Mix Avenue in Hamden.  On May 24, 2022, as investigators arrived to conduct a court-authorized search of the apartment, Rountree threw a backpack from the fourth floor balcony and attempted to flee by climbing over the railing of the balcony to the third floor apartment.  He was apprehended outside of the apartment building in a brush line.  A search of the backpack revealed approximately 106 grams of crack cocaine, approximately 12 grams of fentanyl, three loaded semi-automatic pistols, and ammunition.  An additional quantity of crack was found inside the apartment.

Rountree’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm offenses.

On April 24, 2023, Rountree pleaded guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Rountree, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 12.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gresham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, 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.