A New Jersey man caught smuggling heroin into Connecticut was sentenced Friday to nearly five years in prison.
Jose Martin Chavez-Valencia, 37, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Chavez-Valencia pleaded guilty March 4 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, court records show.
According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force arranged to purchase three kilograms of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl from Chavez-Valencia associates. On September 26, 2022, Chavez-Valencia drove to a parking lot in West Haven “to complete the transaction,” officials said.
Chavez-Valencia was taken into custody, officials said. Investigators searched his vehicle and reportedly found three kilos of heroin. They also located and seized nearly two kilos of heroin in Chavez-Valencia’s possession, according to court records.
Chavez-Valencia has been in custody since his arrest, officials said.
