A 28-year-old New Britain man, who was indicted in August on various charges, has pleaded not guilty according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

By Ronni Newton

A 28-year-old New Britain man, charged with a variety of firearm and drug distribution offenses, was indicted last month but on Tuesday pleaded not guilty, according to an announcement from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Sullivan, along with P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and West Hartford Police Chief Vernon Riddick, Jr., announced Tuesday that Jamie Patterson, who also goes by the name “Diddy,” pleaded not guilty to the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, based on court documents and statements made in court, said that charges stem from an incident on June 12, 2026 in West Hartford, where police observed Patterson on New Park Avenue engaging in suspected drug sales. “Later that day, officers attempted to stop Patterson’s vehicle but he fled at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement tracked Patterson’s vehicle to Middletown, where Patterson was taken into custody. A search of Patterson’s person revealed a 9mm pistol and distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Patterson, a convicted felon, has a criminal history of state and federal convictions on drug and firearms charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and possessing distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.

According to online records, Patterson has been detained, with bond set at $750,000, since his arrest on June 12.

He was indicted on Aug. 26 by a federal grand jury on charges of: “unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years” the release states.

He is on federal supervised release, and violation of those terms could result in additional charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the West Hartford Police Department.

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