NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Bridgeport man was sentenced in New Haven to seven years imprisonment on Tuesday for trafficking narcotics, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Jermel Bates, 28, also known as “Mel Kitty” and “Kitty,” will have his sentence followed by four years of supervised release.
Court documents and statements made in court note that in the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, Bates crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Bridgeport before fleeing the scene on foot. When law enforcement searched his vehicle, they found plastic bags containing multiple blue/green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30,” wax paper folds containing fentanyl and other controlled substances in addition to 78 grams of crack cocaine.
Bates was arrested that day and charged with state offenses, according to prosecutors.
On March 19, Bates was arrested again on a federal criminal complaint. Prosecutors say that when investigators searched his person and his Newfield Avenue apartment, they found plastic bags with thousands of blue-green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30.” The bags weighed more than 400 grams.
Investigators say they also found hundreds of wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl and a bag containing around 12 grams of crack cocaine.
According to prosecutors, Bates has been detained since his federal arrest, and he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl, on May 10.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Norwalk Police Department investigated the case. Prosecutors say the Task Force consists of members of the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk and Trumbull Police Departments.
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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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