Three individuals have been charged with trafficking fentanyl and cocaine in Connecticut's Naugatuck Valley. Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on April 30, 2025, that a federal grand jury in Hartford indicted Keyshon Zimmerman, also known as "AJ," "Ace," and "Slick," aged 39, from Stratford; Robert Smith, also known as "Mookie," aged 43, from Ansonia; and Mahogany Pettway-Stokes, aged 45, also from Ansonia.
According to court documents and proceedings, an investigation led by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office Task Force revealed that Zimmerman and Smith were distributing fentanyl, cocaine, and prescription opioids in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. The two reportedly shared a phone to coordinate drug transactions, with Zimmerman typically using it in the morning and early afternoon, while Smith used it from late afternoon into the evening. From July 2024 to April 2025, investigators conducted several controlled purchases of narcotics from the suspects.
The arrests took place on April 23, 2025. Authorities allege that during the raid on Zimmerman's residence in Stratford, he was found trying to flush fentanyl down the toilet. The search uncovered a significant amount of unpackaged fentanyl and cocaine, drug processing and packaging materials, and roughly $21,000 in cash. Further searches of cars in Stratford and Ansonia associated with Zimmerman found more drugs, narcotic pills, firearms, and drug paraphernalia. At a residence shared by Smith and Pettway-Stokes in Ansonia, officers found two handguns. Additionally, an apartment in Derby showed evidence of drug processing tools, including a kilogram press.
Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes face charges of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine. Zimmerman potentially faces a minimum of 10 years imprisonment, with the possibility of a life sentence, while Smith and Pettway-Stokes face up to 20 years each. Zimmerman is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive imprisonment term of at least five years per count.
Zimmerman and Smith are currently in detention, whereas Pettway-Stokes has been released on a $75,000 bond. Silverman emphasized that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by a collaboration of local and federal agencies and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a national initiative to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels, and protect communities from violent crime.