Manchester Man Gets Five Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

A Manchester man was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, in a New Haven courtroom Wednesday for conspiring to distribute cocaine.

According to David B. Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Richard Crespo, 37, of Elm Street in Manchester, was one of 55 individuals charged with various offenses stemming from a Hartford-area narcotics trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arranged to purchase two kilograms of cocaine for $70,000 from Crespo and a Newington man, Carlos Maldonado, in April of 2009.

After Crespo and Maldonado agreed to sell the cocaine to the agents, Crespo was followed from the Broad Street Package Store in Hartford, which he owns, to a home on Prospect Street in East Hartford where he rented a garage bay. Agents then observed Crespo retrieving two kilograms of cocaine from the garage and placing them into a black bag, which he then placed inside his vehicle. Agents intercepted the vehicle and seized the cocaine from Crespo on his return trip to Hartford.

A search of the garage then revealed an additional two kilograms of cocaine and packaging material.

Crespo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Peter C. Dorsey in a New Haven courtroom.

Maldonado also pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.