A Waterbury man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for his involvement in a violent carjacking and participation in a local narcotics trafficking ring. U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley imposed the 156-month sentence on Ricardo Verdejo, also known as “Rick” and “Ricky,” 27, of Waterbury. Following his release from prison, Verdejo will serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, the events began in June 2023 when two all-terrain vehicles were stolen from Emily Rodriguez’s residence in Waterbury. At the time, Rodriguez was living with Verdejo. After the theft, both posted messages on Facebook seeking information about the missing vehicles and offering money for leads.
Verdejo and others mistakenly identified an individual they believed was responsible for the theft. Later that night, as this individual was being driven home by a friend, their vehicle was surrounded by three other cars. Verdejo, armed with an assault-style rifle, and several associates confronted the victims, demanding the return of the ATVs while threatening them and inflicting physical harm.
Verdejo struck one victim in the head and used his rifle to hit both victims in the face before stealing their vehicle along with other items and cash. The harassment continued over subsequent days.
In addition to these acts, Verdejo was among 17 people charged following an investigation into two drug trafficking organizations operating in Waterbury—one near William Street and another near Maple Avenue. Authorities used wiretaps, video surveillance, GPS tracking, and controlled purchases to uncover that these groups distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl through coordinated efforts.
On November 29, 2023, law enforcement arrested Verdejo and several associates. Searches led to seizures including approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials of crack cocaine, about 200 grams of loose fentanyl, over 1,600 dose bags containing fentanyl or heroin, two stolen firearms with ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
Verdejo has remained detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; he later pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025 to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Emily Rodriguez has also pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The investigations were conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force along with the Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang prosecuted the carjacking case; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Shan Patel prosecuted the narcotics case through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. More information about OCDETF is available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
“David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICARDO VERDEJO, also known as “Rick” and “Ricky,” 27, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in both a violent carjacking and a Waterbury narcotics trafficking ring.”
