Luis Cruz, also known as "Goldo," a 27-year-old resident of Waterbury, has been sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for his involvement in a violent carjacking and participation in a narcotics trafficking ring based in Waterbury. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport and includes three years of supervised release.
According to court records, the events began on June 18, 2023, when two all-terrain vehicles were stolen from a residence in Waterbury. Following the theft, Cruz posted on Facebook offering $5,000 for information regarding the stolen ATVs. Mistakenly identifying an individual as involved in the theft, Cruz and his associates confronted two victims later that night. They surrounded the victims' vehicle with three cars and demanded the return of the ATVs while threatening and physically assaulting them. Cruz used a crutch to strike one of the victims due to a leg injury he was recovering from.
In addition to the carjacking incident, Cruz was implicated in a broader investigation into two drug trafficking organizations operating out of Waterbury. The organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through an extensive network and shared sources of supply. The investigation involved wiretaps, video surveillance, GPS tracking, and controlled narcotics purchases.
Cruz was part of the organization operating around William Street and was intercepted discussing narcotics distribution over wiretaps multiple times. He also stored drugs for the organization at various hotels.
Cruz and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. During these arrests, authorities seized significant quantities of drugs including crack cocaine and fentanyl/heroin, firearms, ammunition, and cash.
On September 10, 2024, Cruz pleaded guilty to charges including carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy related to drug distribution.
The investigations were led by FBI's Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force along with other law enforcement agencies including Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang prosecuted the carjacking case while Natasha M. Freismuth and Shan Patel handled the narcotics case under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Program.