Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOVANNI REYES, 23, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in late 2016, Bridgeport Police made three controlled purchases of heroin from REYES.  On December 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.

Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 12, 2018, at which time REYES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

REYES has been detained since his federal arrest on January 25, 2017.

This prosecution stems from Project Longevity, a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, 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 matter 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Vanessa Richards.