Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Morris Carter, III, also known as “Chilly Mo, Jr.” and “Mo,” 24, of Hartford, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 92 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.

This matter stems from Operation Vinefield, a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation revealed that Carter conspired with Joshua Easterling to distribute crack cocaine in Hartford’s lower Vine Street area.

Carter has been detained since his arrest on February 23, 2012. On November 28, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).

Easterling has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.