CT man found in apartment with 5,400 baggies of fentanyl gets prison

A Connecticut man was sentenced to over two years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl after he was arrested in an apartment that contained thousands of baggies of fentanyl during a court-authorized search in 2023, officials said.

Efrain Cheverez, 42, of Hartford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 28 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl on July 18, 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Investigators learned that Issachamil Torres, also known as “Chamil,” was reportedly trafficking fentanyl from his home on Crown Street in Hartford and using an apartment on Nutmeg Lane in East Hartford to process and package the drugs for street sale, officials said.

On Jan. 25, 2023, investigators reportedly seized around 5,400 dose bags of fentanyl, one kilogram of unpackaged fentanyl and items used to process and package drugs during a court-authorized search of the East Hartford apartment, according to court records. Torres, Cheverez, and Enrique Rodriguez Rivera were at the apartment during the search and were arrested, officials said.

That same day, investigators conducted a search of Torres’ Hartford home and seized large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine and around $30,000 in cash, according to court records.

Torres and Rodriguez pleaded guilty to related charges. Rodriguez was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison on Dec. 19, 2023, official said. Torres is awaiting sentencing.

Cheverez, who is currently released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to federal prison on July 1, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.