Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON SOTO, 57, of the Bronx, New York, formerly of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various "drop addresses" in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts. Soto and others picked up parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to his New Britain residence or to a co-conspirator's residence. They then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx in return for payment.

During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses.

On May 1, 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Soto's residence and seized a loaded Ruger handgun, magazines, ammunition, two money counters, a digital scale with cocaine residue, and more than $1,000 in cash. A search of a co-conspirator's residence on that date revealed two firearms, a drum magazine, ammunition, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging material, and approximately $12,000 in cash.

Soto was arrested on February 14, 2024. On September 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Soto, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on February 26.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service - Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman.