Indictment Charges Hartford Man on Federal Supervised Release W/ Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging KEVIN BARCO, 41, of Hartford, with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

The indictment was returned on September 3, 2025.  Barco appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.  He has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on related state charges on April 24, 2025.

The indictment alleges that, on April 24, 2025, Barco possessed a Springfield Armory XD .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number and a high-capacity magazine loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.

The indictment further alleges that Barco’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for weapon, robbery, and larceny 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.

If convicted of the charge, Barco faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.  He also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

On September 27, 2021, Barco was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 39 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun.  He was released from federal prison in April 2024.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Harford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Updated September 30, 2025

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TAYLOR DZICZEK, 43, formerly of Chicopee, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to bank robbery charges.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI and state and local law enforcement investigated a series of robberies of banks and credit unions that occurred between September 2021 and August 2022 in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire, and which were committed by what appeared to be the same individual. During the investigation, Dziczek was identified as a suspect who robbed the Peoples United Bank, located at 117 East Street in Plainville, Connecticut, on May 26, 2022.  On that date, Dziczek entered the bank, approached the teller counter and gave the teller a note stating words to the effect of, “I have a gun. Don‘t call 911. Don‘t set off any alarms.“ When the teller stated she did not have any more money, Dziczek pulled what appeared to be a black firearm from the front pocket of his sweatshirt and made additional statements including “Give me all the money,” “I have a gun,” and “Don‘t be a hero.”

Dziczek removed some of the paper money wrappers from the money he received from the teller and discarded them at the bank before he fled the scene.   Plainville Police detectives collected the discarded money wrappers as evidence.  

On October 21, 2022, FBI special agents surveilled Dziczek while he was in the MGM Casino in Springfield, Massachusetts, and retrieved a Red Bull energy drink can with a black straw from which Dziczek was observed drinking.  Laboratory analysis connected DNA found on the black straw to DNA found on discarded money wrappers from the Plainville bank robbery.

Dziczek was arrested on December 1, 2022.

Dziczek pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery and admitted that committed the Plainville bank robbery, as well as the robberies of a Webster Bank branch in Somers, Connecticut, on October 22, 2021; a Key Bank branch in East Windsor, Connecticut, on January 6, 2022; a TD Bank branch in Nashua, New Hampshire, on June 3, 2022, during which he pointed what appeared to be a black pistol at the tellers; and a Liberty Bank branch in Meriden, Connecticut, on August 17, 2022.

Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 20, 2026, at which time Dziczek faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years.  Dziczek has agreed to pay restitution in the total amount of $82,567.

Dziczek has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI New Haven Division’s Violent Crimes Task Force, FBI Boston Division, FBI Albany Division, Connecticut State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Athol (Mass.) Police Department, Avon (Conn.) Police Department, Brattleboro (Vt.) Police Department, Chicopee (Mass.) Police Department, East Windsor (Conn.) Police Department, Enfield (Conn.) Police Department, Greenfield (Mass.) Police Department, Keene (N.H.) Police Department, Meriden (Conn.) Police Department, Montague (Mass.) Police Department, Nashua (N.H.) Police Department, Plainville (Conn.) Police Department, Somers (Conn.) Police Department, and Springfield (Mass.) Police Department.  The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of Scientific Services has provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings, and Stephanie T. Levick.  U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont and for their close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

Updated September 26, 2025

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 41, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment for her involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Melendez Rincon and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines.  Melendez Rincon and her co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023.  The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.33 million. 

Melendez Rincon typically cased the targeted business, served as a “lookout” during the burglaries, and she was involved in the sale of the stolen jewelry to others.

A photo taken in January 2024 and retrieved from Melendez Rincon’s iCloud account shows Melendez Rincon wearing a distinctive heart-shaped ring that was stolen during the Milford, Connecticut, burglary in October 2023.

The investigation revealed that Melendez Rincon’s co-conspirators also were involved in the theft of an additional $3.1 million in jewelry from establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024.  Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.

To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement.

Melendez Rincon was arrested on July 18, 2024.  On July 1, 2025, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Melendez Rincon, who had been released pending sentencing, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of the sentencing.  She faces immigration proceedings when she completes her prison term.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.

Updated September 25, 2025

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging the following 15 individuals with conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine into and around southern Connecticut:

DAMIEN HAZEL, 26, of Bridgeport
YANISHKA ARROYO-RIVERA, a.k.a. “Nani,” 22, of Bridgeport
NICHOLAS VEGA, a.k.a. “Nick,” 25, of Ansonia
OMAR VIERA, a.k.a. “O,” 32, of Waterbury
JONATHAN MEJIA, a.k.a. “Big Head,” 27, of Kentucky, formerly of Hamden
NESTOR ROSADO, a.k.a. “Joey,” 27, of Bridgeport
VICTOR FRANCISCO BONILLA, a.k.a. “Mostro,” 34, of Bridgeport
KELVIN OLIVO, 34, of Naugatuck
BRENJINELLIE GONZALEZ, a.k.a. “Brenji,” 24, of New Haven
ROBERTO DEJESUS, a.k.a. “Pedro Ramirez” and “Tito,” 50, of Bridgeport
DANIEL RUIZ, a.k.a. “Jumbo,” 38, of Bridgeport
JAFFAR ALI, 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Trumbull
DAVON WARNER, a.k.a. “DaeDae,” 25, of New Haven
MADISON CRUZ, a.k.a. “Maddie,” 23, of Shelton
JASZAE VAZQUEZ, 26, of Derby

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force investigation determined that Hazel headed a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in southern Connecticut.  Hazel and others traveled to the Bronx, New York, to acquire kilogram quantities of fentanyl and deliver narcotics proceeds, and to Puerto Rico to acquire cocaine and ship it through the U.S. Mail to various addresses in Connecticut.  During the investigation, the FBI Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized several packages containing a total of at least 16 kilograms of cocaine, and identified several more that likely contained narcotics. 

Hazel and 13 of his alleged co-conspirators were arrested on criminal complaints on September 10, 2025, and DeJesus was arrested on September 12, 2025.  In association with the arrests, investigators seized two firearms and assorted ammunition from a residence shared by Hazel and Arroyo-Rivera, ammunition and suspected narcotics from DeJesus, and suspected narcotics from Vega, Ali, and Warner.

“As alleged, this organization trafficked a significant amount of fentanyl and cocaine into our state, and I thank the members of FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, with the assistance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, who shut down this drug importation and distribution network,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan.  “The scourge of illegal narcotics continues to ruin lives in Connecticut, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to targeting and prosecuting those who are profiting from it.”

“This indictment demonstrates FBI New Haven’s top priority of crushing violent crime,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge P.J. O’Brien.  “Along with our federal and local partners, we are committed to removing dangerous drugs, like fentanyl and cocaine, from the streets of Connecticut.  The FBI will continue to bring the full breadth of our resources to the table to support our partners and keep our neighborhoods safe.”

The indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.  If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Hazel, Arroyo-Rivera, Vega, Viera, Mejia, Rosado, Bonilla, Olivo, and Gonzalez, face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and DeJesus, Ruiz, Ali, Warner, Cruz, and Vazquez face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

Hazel, DeJesus, Vega, Mejia, Bonilla, Ruiz, and Ali are currently detained, and the remaining eight defendants are released pending trial.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Trumbull, Hartford, Fairfield, Shelton, Ansonia, Derby, Greenwich, Stamford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Louisville (Ky.) Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Updated September 25, 2025

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced ANGELO DELMARO, 48, of Farmington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to tax evasion.

According to court documents and statements made in court, since at least 2012, Delmaro has owned and operated commercial roofing businesses in Connecticut, initially doing business as “Value Roofing,” then “Roofing Services of New England,” and most recently as “Roofing Services.”  The businesses also provided paving services.  None of Delmaro’s companies registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State or had a federal Taxpayer Identification Number.  From 2012 to 2022, Delmaro’s companies earned approximately $12.7 million in customer receipts, but Delmaro paid his workers in cash, never filed income or payroll tax returns for himself or the business, and took several steps to conceal income and operating expenses from the IRS.

As part of his tax evasion scheme, Delmaro and others associated with his business cashed checks from customers at various check cashing businesses instead of depositing them into bank accounts.  Delmaro provided the check cashers with addresses associated with UPS mailboxes rather than his home address.  When the check cashers filed Currency Transaction Reports (“CTRs”), the IRS only had a UPS mailbox location to try to identify source of income.  

Delmaro also had customers file false Forms 1099 made out to a family member, rather than his business, or made out to Delmaro himself, making income attribution more difficult.  At times, when a customer requested that Delmaro provide a completed Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, Form W-9, Delmaro worked with his father to prepare a false W-9 that included the name and social security number of his father and a UPS mailbox address.  Delmaro sometimes provided customers with W-9 forms using false identities, such as “Harvey Rubino” or “Tony Stano,” which the customers used on the 1099.  Delmaro’s father used an alias, which differed from the name and information Delmaro provided to the customer.

Delmaro has agreed to pay restitution of $630,869 to the IRS.

Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for January 21.

Delmaro is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.

Updated September 24, 2025

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to two months of imprisonment, 18 months of supervised release, and a $331,368 fine for an insider trading offense.

According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  In his position, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies.  On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912.

As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ.  Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04.  On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance.  Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421.

On June 6, 2025, Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud.  He is required to report to prison on January 7.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.

Updated September 23, 2025