Federal authorities say a man from Connecticut now potentially faces 40 years in prison after being convicted of heroin trafficking.

U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger says 38-year-old Luis Payano-Perez was found guilty last week on one count of possessing with intent to distribute 100 or more grams of heroin.

The verdict stems from November 2018, when a confidential informant provided information to officials that Payano-Perez was prepared to sell the source a large amount of heroin in the parking lot of a Wawa store in Tuckerton.

That transaction, which involved about one kilo of heroin, happened on November 8th of that year, and immediately after it took place, Payano-Perez was taken into custody.

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Payano-Perez now faces five to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million.

Sellinger credited U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents, the Little Egg Harbor Police Department, and the New Jersey State Police's Atlantic City Metro Task Force with the investigation that resulted in the guilty verdict.

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