Feds Claim New Haven Man, 29, Was Part Of Crack Distribution Ring

New Haven CT

10 September, 2021

12:24 PM

Description

NEW HAVEN, CT — A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging Brian Ward, 29, of New Haven, with narcotics distribution and ammunition possession offenses, prosecutors announced. Ward appeared before a federal magistrate and pleaded not guilty. According to the office of Acting U.S. Attorney for Connecticut and as alleged in court documents, on July 21 police arrested Ward's "associate" Zaquawn Arrington on a federal criminal complaint at Arrington's West Haven home, noting that Ward was there at the time. After a search, authorities said they found crack cocaine, a digital scale, and $2,075 in cash and said that during the search, investigators saw "Ward throw a bag from the house" containing crack cocaine packaged for distribution. Later that day, investigators said they conducted a court-authorized search of Ward's home in New Haven and "seized a pistol box containing four ammunition magazines, and a box of 39 9mm rounds." Prosecutors said as Ward was previously convicted of state felony drug and assault offenses, it's 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. Federal prosecutors also allege that Ward was "seen on surveillance video firing a gun at a group of individuals immediately after one of the individuals shot and killed his associate on August 8, 2021, in Hamden." Ward is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, crack, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted and was charged with one count of possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted The U.s. Attorney said Arrington was charged separately with federal narcotics offenses and is awaiting trial. This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the West Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments. 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.