Kenny Laporte, 39, of Hartford, was charged by indictment with drug distribution and firearm possession offenses, according to a May 5 announcement from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is significant as it involves allegations of distributing large quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics in the Hartford area. Authorities say Laporte used a residence on Amity Street in Hartford to store drugs and that multiple controlled purchases were made from him in April and May 2025.
Laporte was arrested on May 29, 2025. During a search at his residence and an adjacent garage, investigators found approximately 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, along with cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, nine handguns, ammunition, jewelry and over $22,000 in cash. Laporte also had $1,675 in cash at the time he was taken into custody.
Court documents indicate that Laporte has prior felony convictions for narcotics-, firearm-, and assault-related offenses. Federal law prohibits those previously convicted of felonies from possessing firearms that have moved through interstate or foreign commerce.
A grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against Laporte on April 28. The charges include five counts related to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances—each carrying up to twenty years’ imprisonment—one count involving more than four hundred grams of fentanyl which carries a mandatory minimum ten-year sentence up to life imprisonment; as well as one count for unlawful possession of firearms by a felon with up to fifteen years’ imprisonment possible.
Sullivan said: “An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” Laporte pleaded not guilty during his appearance at federal court in Hartford; he has been released on $100,000 bond pending trial.
The investigation involved both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Hartford Police Department; Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel is prosecuting the case.
This matter falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice targeting illegal immigration activities as well as violent crime connected to cartels or transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut prosecutes federal crimes—including those alleged here—and manages civil cases for the United States within Connecticut’s borders while employing about sixty-eight assistant attorneys across offices located in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport; it operates under the U.S. Department of Justice as one of the oldest federal prosecutorial offices.