Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN RIVERS, 39, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 26, 2020, Meriden Police arrested Rivers after a search of a disabled vehicle on his property revealed more than 575 grams of cocaine, more than 44 grams of crack cocaine, more than 52 grams of fentanyl, more than 26 grams of heroin, 690 grams of marijuana, a Highpoint Model HCP .40 caliber handgun, a Smith and Wesson Model 629-1 44 Magnum Revolver, a Romanian Model TTC 9mm handgun, and 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. A quantity of crack cocaine was also found in a vehicle Rivers had driven earlier that day.
Rivers’ criminal history includes state convictions for robbery, kidnapping and drug offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On September 29, 2021, Rivers pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Rivers, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 25.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and the Meriden Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman, with assistance from Law Student Intern Joseph Linfield.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.