Drug courier arrested in Orange sentenced to 3 years in federal prison

Date: August 13, 2025

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Christian Andres Tejada Segura, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in West Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by 18 months of supervised release, for a fentanyl trafficking offense. Judge Oliver also ordered Tejada to pay a $20,000 fine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of an undercover investigation, the DEA arranged a fentanyl purchase with an individual. On May 24, 2023, Tejada was arrested in Orange after he had traveled to Connecticut and was found in possession of approximately 473 grams of the drug.

On April 4, 2025, Tejada pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Tejada, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 11.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, the West Haven Police Department, and the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.

IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.