East Hartford Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging VASHAWN RAY, 38, of East Hartford, with drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.

The indictment was returned on October 13, 2026, and Ray was arrested yesterday. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on October 25, 2025, Ray and a companion drove a Mercedes SUV to the Westfarms Mall in West Hartford. While they were inside the mall, a tow truck operator took the vehicle as part of a repossession. After arriving at the impoundment lot, the tow truck operator found narcotics and a bag containing a firearm in the SUV, and contacted police. Responding police arrived and recovered approximately 160 wax folds of fentanyl, a quantity of crack cocaine, and a loaded 9mm handgun. The bag that contained that firearm also contained Ray's wallet, identification, and credit cards.

The indictment alleges that Ray's criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and drug offenses, and a federal conviction in 2013 for a crack cocaine trafficking offense.

The indictment charges Ray with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each 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 with the assistance of the Newington and Bloomfield Police Departments. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the East Hartford, Hartford, Manchester, Naugatuck, New Britain, Newington, Waterbury, West Hartford, and Wethersfield Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Daniel Makofsky.

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.