NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Two Connecticut men were among the five people arrested in connection to a gun trafficking ring that brought numerous firearms into the state, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office, an investigation found that Luis Perez, 44, of Waterbury, was allegedly acquiring firearms purchased by co-conspirators in Kansas and shipped through U.S. Mail to a stash location that Algelly Diaz, 40, of Hartford, maintained in Connecticut’s capital city.
Both men were indicted by a federal grand jury along with Brian Baker, 46, of Scott City, Kansas, Ramon Pichardo, 33, of Elkhart, Kansas and Fernando Soto, Jr., 51, of Diamond Bar, California.
Perez allegedly coordinated the purchase of the firearms through Baker and Soto and then he would sell them to others throughout Connecticut, prosecutors said.
Baker allegedly used straw purchasers, including Pichardo, to purchase firearms from licensed gun dealers in Kansas.
According to the U.S. Attorney, Richard purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas between August 2020 and May 2023. To date, six of those firearms have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, Michigan and California.
One of those weapons was recovered in August 2022 at the scene of a homicide in San Bernardino, California.
In May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted controlled purchases of at least nine firearms from Perez, officials said.
Perez, Diaz, Baker and Pichardo were arrested on May 19, 2023. Investigators found nine firearms, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl/heroin and more than $7,000 in cash at Perez’s Waterbury residence and vehicle.
At Diaz’s home, more than 90 rounds of ammunition were found. Firearms were also found at Pichardo’s home.
In total, 27 firearms were seized during the investigation.
All men were charged with engaging in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Perez, Baker and Diaz are also facing multiple counts of firearms trafficking. Perez, Baker and Soto face charges of unlawfully mailing firearms. Perez and Diaz face additional charges.
Diaz, Perez and Pichardo appeared before a judge in New Haven on Thursday and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges against them. Perez and Diaz were detailed and Pichardo was released on a $25,000 bond.
Soto, who was arrested on June 5, was released on a $60,000 bond, while Baker, who is detained, is scheduled to be arraigned in Connecticut on June 16.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
