A Mexican national formerly living in East Hartford has been indicted for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported following a prison sentence on drug trafficking charges, officials said.
Carlos Fernandez-Barritos, also known as “Ricardo Fernandez,” appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a not-guilty plea after a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment on Nov. 20, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
According to court records, the 30-year-old was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court on Dec. 11, 2014, to approximately 14 months in prison, time already served, for his role in a drug trafficking ring. He was then deported and sent back to Mexico in January 2015.
Federal officials allege that Fernandez illegally reentered the U.S. On Nov. 4, 2022, he was arrested by the Hartford Police Department for disorderly conduct, threatening, third-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and interfering with police. He was released on a $20,000 bond, according to federal officials.
On March 15, 2023, the East Hartford Police Department responded to a report that Fernandez had allegedly stabbed his domestic partner, federal officials said. Fernandez reportedly fled the scene before police arrived, according to federal officials, and an arrest warrant charging him with second-degree assault, violation of a restraining order and disorderly conduct is still outstanding.
Fernandez has been detained since Aug. 15, when he was arrested on a federal criminal complaint. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
