Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TREA FRASER, 27, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the West Haven Police Department began investigating the narcotics trafficking activity of Fraser and another individual.  Between October and December 2020, investigators made controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Fraser.  On February 9, 2021, a search of Fraser’s residence revealed quantities of crack cocaine and heroin items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, ammunition, and $3,900 in cash.  A search of his vehicle revealed approximately 100 grams of cocaine and a loaded .45 caliber Glock 41 handgun that was reported stolen in Alabama.

Fraser has been detained since his federal arrest on March 1, 2021.  On November 17, 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Fraser’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearm and drug offenses, and for witness tampering related to his attempt to have a witness to a shooting incident change his statement.

This matter was investigated by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.

This prosecution is part of 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.