Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced a seven-count federal indictment against three men involved in a drug trafficking operation.
The defendants, Markeyse Kelly (45) of West Haven, Jaquan Price (33) of New Haven, and Robert Covington (32) of New Haven, face charges related to the distribution of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as fentanyl powder laced with xylazine.
According to court documents, the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force began investigating Kelly's drug trafficking organization in October 2023. The investigation, which included controlled narcotic purchases in February and March 2024, revealed that Kelly, Price, and Covington sold various controlled substances.
These substances included multi-colored pills pressed to resemble ecstasy but containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills with fentanyl, and fentanyl powder laced with xylazine.
The three men were arrested on federal criminal complaints on May 14, 2024. During the arrest, investigators executed multiple search warrants, seizing numerous fentanyl and methamphetamine pills, additional quantities of fentanyl powder, meth powder, cocaine, three handguns, two loaded gun magazines, and ammunition.
On May 21, 2024, a New Haven grand jury returned an indictment charging Kelly, Price, and Covington with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
If convicted, Kelly faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum of life, Price faces up to 20 years, and Covington faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years.
Additionally, Kelly, Price, and Covington face multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and/or fentanyl. Kelly is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and Price with unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon. It is alleged that Price has a prior federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Currently, Kelly and Price are detained, while Covington is released on a $100,000 bond.
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