Five New Haven Residents Charged with Distributing Crack

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and New Haven Police Chief Otoniel Reyes today announced that, on January 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned two indictments charging five New Haven residents with federal narcotics offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine.  The five defendants were arrested on January 26.

This matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department.  The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and multiple controlled purchases of crack.

JERRY ROLLINS, a.k.a. “Prank,” 36; BENITA FLEMMING, 33, and ORLANDO MOORE, 49, are charged in a 14-count indictment alleging that they conspired to distribute crack from approximately July 2020 to January 2021.  DEVARO TAYLOR, 30, and TASHAUN FAIR, 27, are charged in an eight-count indictment alleging that they conspired to distribute crack between approximately September and December 2020.

Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), a charge that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.  Rollins and Taylor are also charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.  In addition, the five defendants are charged with one or more counts of use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking felony, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years.

U.S. Attorney Durham 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.

In association with the arrests of the defendants, investigators seized approximately 300 grams of crack and packaging, 50 grams of heroin and packaging, 100 grams of cocaine and packaging, and more than $17,000 in cash.

The FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force includes members from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and West Haven Police Department have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile and Marc H. Silverman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.