NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A Meriden man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in New Haven to a fentanyl trafficking charge, according to the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Connecticut.

William Burruss, 27, also known as "Cheese," pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, prosecutors said.

According to court documents and statements made in court, members of the FBI's Safe Streets Gang Task Force developed evidence that Burruss was selling fentanyl in and around New Haven. Investigators bought the drug from him twice in June 2025, prosecutors said.

Burruss was arrested on Sept. 9, 2025, after investigators arranged to buy about 84 grams of fentanyl from him in Hamden, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

He faces a maximum of 40 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

Burruss, who previously lived in New Haven, is free on a $100,000 bond while he awaits sentencing, prosecutors said.

The New Haven Police Department and the Connecticut State Police also took part in the investigation.

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