By Tiffany Williams –
Justin Cabrera, also known as “J.U.,” aged 25 and hailing from Waterbury, appeared before the United States District Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Monday. He pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with racketeering, as well as a charge of carrying and using a firearm during a violent crime.
The guilty plea was a result of an extensive investigation conducted by the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police into drug trafficking and associated violence in Waterbury, involving members of the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford issued a 36-count indictment against Cabrera and 15 other alleged 960 gang members. The indictment included charges related to racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder, assault, and obstruction of justice.
One of the incidents involved the 960 gang members shooting and injuring a person on October 31, 2017, in an attempt to murder rivals from a different gang. Cabrera confessed to his involvement in the shooting, acknowledging that he operated one of the vehicles used in the attack.
Cabrera has been in custody since September 16, 2021, and is set to be sentenced on December 9.