New Haven Man Charged with Distributing Fentanyl

Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging NELSON SANTINI, 27, of New Haven, with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more fentanyl.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on August 13, 2021, members of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force made a controlled purchase of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from Santini.

If convicted of the charge, Santini faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

Santini has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on April 6, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Robert S. Ruff.