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Press Release

New Haven-Area Drug Dealer with Long Criminal History Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FRANK CARR, also known as “FL,” 53, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to 126 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal narcotics conviction.

Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the sentencing occurred via videoconference.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department that targeted drug trafficking and related acts of violence by members, former members and associates of the “Island Brothers” street gang in New Haven.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, also revealed that the drug trafficking organization had established a base of operation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.  The investigation subsequently identified a second drug trafficking network that involved the large-scale distribution of heroin.

Investigators developed information that, in March 2019, while Carr was on federal supervised release, he provided a kilogram of cocaine to the leader of one of the drug trafficking networks.  In May and June 2019, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of cocaine and crack from Carr, including a purchase of approximately 78 grams of crack from Carr in exchange for $3,000 on May 23, 2019.

On July 9, 2019, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 15-count indictment charging Carr and 24 other individuals with federal narcotics offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin.  Two defendants were added in a superseding indictment that was returned on November 25, 2019.  In a subsequent superseding indictment, Carr was charged with attempted obstruction of justice for allegedly asking a potential witness in this case to provide false exculpatory information about Carr.

Carr has been detained since his arrest on July 10, 2019.  On October 28, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).

This is Carr’s third federal conviction in the District of Connecticut.  In December 1996, he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  In January 2013, he was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment for distributing heroin.  Carr’s criminal history also includes state convictions for manslaughter with a firearm, weapons possession and drug offenses.

Judge Chatigny sentenced Carr to 120 months of imprisonment for distributing crack, and 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.  Six months of the 24-month supervised release sentence were imposed consecutively with the 120-month sentence in the underlying case.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Peter D. Markle, Elena L. Coronado and Tara E. Levens 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.

Updated December 14, 2020

Topics
Drug Trafficking
Opioids