Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JONATHAN CONTRERA, also known as “Hollywood,” 29, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and gun possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2017, Contrera pleaded guilty in state court to sale of narcotics and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended after three years, and three years of probation.  Contrera also pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, a charge reduced from murder after key witnesses who observed him chase down and shoot the victim could not be located.  He was released from state custody in June 2018.  In July 2019, while on state probation, Contrera was arrested by Hartford Police and charged with various narcotics offenses related to the possession of cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana.  He was subsequently released on bond.

In September and October 2019, investigators made controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Contrera.  Contrera was arrested on October 9, 2019, after he sold approximately 3.5 grams of crack to an individual, and a search of his car revealed another 3.5 grams of crack.  After Contrera was arrested, a search of his residence revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine, approximately 20 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and a stolen .327 caliber revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition.

Contrera has been detained since his federal arrest on October 17, 2019.  On May 27, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The task force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.