A Connecticut drug trafficker who possessed methamphetamine pills shaped like the iconic Nintendo character Super Mario has received a six-year federal prison sentence.
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Let’s-a-go… to prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced that U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley sentenced 33-year-old Ronnell Rogers of New Haven to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence covers both a fentanyl distribution conviction and Rogers’ violation of the terms of his supervised release from an earlier federal case.
Super Mario Drugs Strangely Not Psychedelic Mushrooms
Authorities arrested Rogers on 2 May 2024 after New Haven police conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl and then stopped his vehicle.
Officers recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin that investigators said Rogers had packaged for distribution. Among the seized drugs, officers found methamphetamine pills pressed into the shapes of cartoon characters, including Super Mario.
Prosecutors noted that the colourful pills could easily be mistaken for candy, creating an additional danger if children encountered them.
The case also marked Rogers’ third federal conviction. In January 2022, a federal court sentenced him to prison for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offences, along with an additional sentence for violating supervised release tied to an even earlier federal conviction for unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
After officials reduced his sentence, Rogers left federal prison in March 2024 and began serving a new three-year term of supervised release. Just weeks later, investigators caught him dealing fentanyl again.
Rogers pleaded guilty on 10 October 2025 to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl. Judge Dooley imposed a 63-month prison sentence for the drug offence and added another nine months for violating supervised release, bringing the total sentence to six years.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George prosecuted it. Federal officials said the sentence reflects their continued effort to target repeat offenders who distribute dangerous narcotics in Connecticut communities and to reduce the harm caused by fentanyl and other illegal drugs.