Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 28, 2017, GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, 29, of Hartford, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and committing violent robberies.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 31, 2016, Hartford Police officers encountered RODRIGUEZ after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Main Street and Albany Avenue. RODRIGUEZ was arrested after a search of his vehicle revealed approximately 1,300 dose bags of heroin and a .40 caliber pistol.

Subsequent forensic testing of the seized firearm connected it to shell casings that were found after shooting incidents on Park Street in Hartford on January 17, 2016, and on Whitmore Street in Hartford on October 22, 2015.

In relation to the October 22 incident, a shooting victim explained that he was parked in his car on Whitmore Street and had been talking to a mechanic about performing repairs on his vehicle. After the mechanic walked from the victim’s car, an assailant, who was subsequently identified as RODRIGUEZ, approached the driver’s side of the car and demanded money. When the victim did not comply, RODRIGUEZ shot him in the thigh and then took approximately $300 from the victim.

The Park Street shooting on January 17, 2016, also involved a victim who was shot in the leg and the theft of approximately $300.

RODRIGUEZ has been detained since his arrest on January 31, 2016. On December 19, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of interference with commerce by robbery, threats and violence

RODRIGUEZ’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions.

This matter was investigated by the Hartford Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gustafson.

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