A federal jury convicted a Connecticut man of heroin trafficking, federal officials announced today.
According to federal officials, following an eight-day trial, Luis Payano-Perez, 38, of Connecticut, was convicted on Oct. 20 of one count of possessing with intent to distribute 100 or more grams of heroin.
According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:
In November 2018, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) confidential informant provided information to HSI that Payano-Perez was prepared to sell the source a large volume of heroin on Nov. 8, 2018, in the parking lot of a Wawa convenience store in Tuckerton.
Federal officials say, Payano-Perez and the confidential informant arranged for the quantity of heroin to be sold, as well as the date, time, and location of the planned transaction.
According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2018, Payano-Perez met with two confidential government informants at the Wawa parking lot to sell them approximately one kilogram of heroin.
Court documents state, shortly after the parties interacted by Payano-Perez’s vehicle, law enforcement officers converged on the Wawa parking lot and arrested Payano-Perez.
A subsequent search of Payano-Perez’s vehicle uncovered a bag containing nearly one kilogram of heroin.
The narcotics trafficking charge carries a mandatory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and up to a $5 million fine.