7-Year Sentence Rendered In Fed Drug Case With West Hartford Ties

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A seven-year prison sentence was handed down to a man authorities said last resided in West Hartford in a federal drug case.

John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, said that 51-year-old Manuel Santiago, who is also known as "Pete" and "Green-eyed Pete" and last resided in West Hartford, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer to 84 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

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

According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2019, the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force received information that Santiago was distributing half-kilogram quantities of cocaine.

Durham said investigators knew that Santiago had a history as a large-scale narcotics supplier and that he was on federal supervised release following his 2013 convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and money laundering.

On Aug. 14, 2019, investigators arranged a controlled purchase of a half-kilogram of cocaine from Santiago, Durham said. Santiago was arrested that evening after he arrived at a gas station parking lot in Hartford to complete the transaction, case records show. A search of Santiago's vehicle revealed a plastic bag containing approximately 514 grams of cocaine, Durham said.

A subsequent search of Santiago's residence revealed approximately 4 kilograms of cocaine, he added.

Santiago has been detained since his arrest. On Oct. 8 of this year, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.