Hartford Man Who Trafficked Cocaine Sentenced: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford resident who facilitated cocaine sales between a U.S. Postal Service employee and other narcotics traffickers has been sentenced to years in prison, the Connecticut district attorney's office announced.

Kendall Hooks, 50, of Hartford was sentenced on Wednesday to 66 months (5.5 years) of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

Hooks pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, after a grand jury charged him and 18 others in June 2019 following an investigation.

The investigation was focused on people who were receiving cocaine shipments from Puerto Rico and California, which they distributed in and around Hartford.

A man named Pedro Rivera arranged to have a person in Puerto Rico send packages containing cocaine to addresses in Hartford, and when they arrived, U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Jesus Rodriguez would deliver them to Rivera, according to the district attorney's office.

And Rodriguez also distributed cocaine to his own drug customers in the Hartford area, including Hooks, who "facilitated cocaine transactions between Rodriguez and other narcotics traffickers," the district attorney's office said.

Rivera and Rodriguez also pleaded guilty. Rivera was sentenced to 100 months in prison last month, while Rodriguez still awaits sentencing.

Read more: Man Sentenced In Hartford Cocaine Dealing Case: Feds