HARTFORD, Conn. — An East Hartford man facing fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offenses has been charged with a five-count indictment, according to a release on Wednesday from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
On April 16, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned the five-count indictment charging 36-year-old Brandon “Spun” Spence, who has been detained since April 3, according to prosecutors.
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Spence appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Hartford on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges, prosecutors said.
In March and April, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made controlled purchases of both fentanyl and crack cocaine from Spence, as is alleged in court documents.
A court-authorized search of Spence’s residence and vehicles on April 3 uncovered distribution quantities of fentanyl, prosecutors said.
The indictment charges Spence with three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, according to prosecutors. Each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
The investigation is being overseen by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force consists of FBI members, Hartford police, East Hartford police, New Britain police, West Hartford police, Connecticut State Police and employees of the Connecticut Department of Correction, prosecutors said.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery emphasized in the release that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that charges are only allegations. She said Spence is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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