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NELTON COURT DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 15 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON; Fifth to be sentenced in Hartford PCP Distribution Ring

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RUFUS HEMINGWAY, also known as "Forty," also known as "Cog," age 29, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Christopher F. Droney in Hartford to 188 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to sell PCP in Nelton Court.

On February 12, 2004, HEMINGWAY pleaded guilty and admitted that he conspired with Curtis MAYO to distribute significant quantities of liquid PCP in the Nelton Court area of Hartford.

U.S. Attorney O'Connor indicated that Hemingway's conviction was part of "Operation Fresh Breath," a cooperative investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police that addressed the distribution of drugs in Nelton Court. Previously, Curtis Mayo, a.k.a. "Cupcake" and "Cool City," Jack Williams, a.k.a. "Meat" and "Monterey," Steven Hines, a.k.a. "Liggy" and Courtney Ashley, a.k.a. "Bun," all Operation Fresh Breath defendants, were sentenced to terms of incarceration of 168 months, 188 months, 151 months and 135 months, respectively.

"This operation represents yet another step in the coordinated approach by which federal, state and local law enforcement authorities are addressing the distribution of illegal drugs in Hartford," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "And it is part of a larger and ongoing effort to focus on the problem of drug distribution and related violence in the capital city. The series of significant sentences being imposed in this case should send a clear signal to individuals who choose to sell drugs in Hartford that there will be severe consequences for their actions."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Raymond F. Miller, who is a member of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, prosecuted these cases. ###