New Britain Man Charged with Gun Possession and Drug Distribution Offenses

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and West Hartford Police Chief Vernon Riddick, Jr., today announced that JAMIE PATTERSON, also known as "Diddy," 28, of New Britain, has been charged by indictment with firearm possession and drug distribution offenses.

Patterson appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2026, West Hartford Police observed Patterson engaging in suspected drug sales on New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Later that day, officers attempted to stop Patterson's vehicle but he fled at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement tracked Patterson's vehicle to Middletown, where Patterson was taken into custody. A search of Patterson's person revealed a 9mm pistol and distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.

It is alleged that Patterson's criminal history includes state convictions for drug and firearm offenses, and federal convictions in May 2023 for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Patterson has been detained since June 12, 2026. On August 26, 2026, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years.

Patterson, who is on federal supervised release, faces additional penalties if he is found in violation of his supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the West Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the East Hartford, Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, Wethersfield, and Newington Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.