Waterbury heroin dealer gets five years in prison, feds say

In a release, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut’s office said Kevin Rivera, 29, was sentenced in federal court in New Haven on Monday to 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On Nov. 24, 2021, the U.S. attorney’s office said, Waterbury police established surveillance at Rivera’s residence in preparation for the execution of multiple state search warrants. It said they observed Rivera exit his residence and then open doors to multiple vehicles in the parking lot in front of the building.  

“Rivera removed a plastic bag from one of the vehicles, conduct what appeared to be drug transaction with an individual, and then drive away,” it said.

 When Rivera returned a short time later and investigators approached him, the U.S. attorney’s office said, he dropped a clear plastic bag containing approximately 46 bags of heroin/fentanyl. Police then arrested him, it said.

The U.S. attorney’s office said searches of Rivera’s residence and vehicles parked in front of his residence revealed more than 3,000 bags of heroin and fentanyl, a small quantity of cocaine and items used to process and package narcotics. It said police also found a loaded Kel Tec Sub-2000 9mm caliber semiautomatic rifle with an obliterated serial number, an armor-plated bulletproof vest and other items.

Rivera has been detained since his arrest, the U.S. attorney’s office said, noting he pleaded guilty on March 11.