DERBY – A Derby resident was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison followed by three years of probation for selling drugs in Bridgeport.
The defendant, Marquis Jones, 30, was sentenced Oct. 21 by Judge Michael Shea and is scheduled to report to prison on Jan. 7, 2026.
Jones was part of a group that supplied narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine, to the “150” street gang in Bridgeport, according to federal prosecutors.
His role was revealed through an investigation led by FBI agents based in Connecticut who used wiretaps, cell phone data, and clandestine drug buys to build a criminal case against Jones and the people he did business with.
The government alleged Jones was getting narcotics from Christian Pichardo and selling them to 150 gang member Modeste Adolo. Prosecutors said Jones was previously in the gang, and had been arrested with Adolo in 2014.
Jones was arrested in July 2024 along with seven co-defendants. He was cited for testing positive for marijuana while his case wound its way through the system.
Jones ultimately took a plea deal that saw him plead guilty to conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute in July 2025.
Jones’ lawyer argued that Jones should not receive prison time, noting that the defendant had a six-year-old son with special needs. The boy’s mother noted that Jones cares for the child after school each day, providing structure and stability for the child.
Jones was selling drugs to support his own drug habit, according to federal court filings by his lawyer, and had accumulated sober time in addition to seeking substance abuse counseling. In addition, his lawyer said Jones played a minor role in the conspiracy.
But prosecutors said Jones’ criminal history started around age 17, despite having a healthy upbringing. Jones was “immersed in gang culture” by age 19, according to a sentencing memo from the prosecution.
Jones and another 150 gang member were shot in 2017 – neither victim cooperated with police. Around the same time, two members of the rival Greene Homes gang were shot, prosecutors noted.
In 2020, Bridgeport police found a Glock handgun with a laser scope and extended ammo magazine in Jones’ apartment, along with marijuana and digital scales, prosecutors said. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison – and then caught on wiretaps talking about drug deals immediately after getting out.
“For the last 13 years, the defendant has been a committed criminal, involved in gun offenses and violence, drug trafficking, and gang activities. He appears to care little about court supervision or about truthfulness with authorities,” prosecutors said.
Pichardo, the alleged leader of the narcotics ring Jones was in, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.