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John H. Durham

CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison
CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring. Alex Negron, age 37, of Hartford, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 10, to prison, followed by three years of supervised release, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the DEA's Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service into a drug trafficking organization that was receiving shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico and California and di…
Man Admits Operating Scam That Defrauded CT Victim Of Nearly $1.2 Million Man Admits Operating Scam That Defrauded CT Victim Of Nearly $1.2 Million
Man Admits Operating Scam That Defrauded CT Victim Of Nearly $1.2 Million A 35-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge stemming from a lottery scam that defrauded an elderly Connecticut victim of nearly $1.2 million. Stieve Fernandez, age 35, of Argentine and Jamacia, made the plea on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in Bridgeport, said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately 2015 to 2018, Fernandez and others, including Minique Morris and Horace Crooks, defrauded an elderly Mystic resident in a lottery scam.  As part of their scheme, Ferna…
CT Man Admits To Assaulting USPS Worker CT Man Admits To Assaulting USPS Worker
CT Man Admits To Assaulting USPS Worker A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier after making sexual advances while inside her postal vehicle.  Demorse Kelley, age 39, of Hartford, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Jan. 21, for the Friday, June 7, 2019, event in Hartford, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, a postal letter carrier was sorting mail inside her delivery van that was parked on Sigourney Street in Hartford.   Kelley approached the van from the sidewalk, slid the…
Fairfield County Man Charged With Illegal Gun Possession Fairfield County Man Charged With Illegal Gun Possession
Fairfield County Man Charged With Illegal Gun Possession A Fairfield County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. David Burden, age 40, of Norwalk, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, Jan. 20, following the indictment, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Burden has been detained in state custody since his arrest on Wednesday, Sept. 30. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on Sept. 30, Bridgeport Police officers arrested Burden after he fired a gun in the area of Kossuth Street and Nichols Street in Bridgeport.   Investigators …
CT Man Sentenced For Fentanyl, Crack Distribution Offenses CT Man Sentenced For Fentanyl, Crack Distribution Offenses
CT Man Sentenced For Fentanyl, Crack Distribution Offenses A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for the distribution of fentanyl and crack cocaine. Nathaniel DeJesus, age 21, of Hartford, was sentenced to the prison term followed by four years of supervised release on Monday, Jan. 25, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, after a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies initiated an investigation targeting gang-…
CT Man Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Handguns CT Man Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Handguns
CT Man Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Handguns A Connecticut man has been sentenced to four-and-half years in prison for illegally possessing two firearms. Carlos Barnes, also known as "Buddha," age 29, of New Haven, was sentenced to prison time in addition to three years of supervised release on Thursday, Jan. 21, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, Hamden Police arrested Barnes after they found him in possession of a Taurus Millennium G2 9mm handgun and a Springfield XD-40 .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated seria…
CT Man Sentenced For Dealing Fentanyl CT Man Sentenced For Dealing Fentanyl
CT Man Sentenced For Dealing Fentanyl A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 77 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl. Tylon Hicks, age 44, of Hartford, was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 20, by U.S. District Michael P. Shea, said John H. Durham, U.S. States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2019, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force received information that Tylon Hicks’ brother, Troy Hicks, was involved in the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine.   On Wednesday, August 14, 2…
Convicted CT Felon Admits To Possessing Firearm Convicted CT Felon Admits To Possessing Firearm
Convicted CT Felon Admits To Possessing Firearm A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Dionte Wilson, age 25, of East Hartford, was arrested last year after a review of videos on social media websites by the FBI's Gang Task Fore identified him as being in possession of several firearms, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, following the review of the videos, members of the task force conducted multiple controlled purchases of marijuana from Wilson.   On Monday, August 10, Wilson was …
CT Man Accused Of Defrauding Investors CT Man Accused Of Defrauding Investors
CT Man Accused Of Defrauding Investors A Connecticut man has been indicted on 17 counts of allegedly defrauding investors of an alcoholic beverage company. Brian Hughes, 56, of Madison, was indicted on Friday, Jan. 15, following his arrest, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. The indictment alleges that in March 2015, Hughes founded Handcrafted Brands, for the purpose of raising money to purchase Salute American Vodka, an alcoholic beverage company.  After founding the company, Hughes allegedly solicited and received funds from investors for the purchase and development of Salute.  &nb…
Bus Driver From Fairfield County Sentenced For Child Enticement Offense, Planning Murder Bus Driver From Fairfield County Sentenced For Child Enticement Offense, Planning Murder
Bus Driver From Fairfield County Sentenced For Child Enticement Offense, Planning Murder A bus driver from Fairfield County has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and for obstructing justice by attempting to have the minor victim murdered. Jose Manuel Santos, age 38, of Bridgeport, was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 13, to the time in prison, as well as seven years of supervised release, said John H. Durham, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, Santos was employed by Curtin Livery as a bus/van driver in Connecticut with responsibilities that include…
CT Man Sentenced For Narcotics Distribution CT Man Sentenced For Narcotics Distribution
CT Man Sentenced For Narcotics Distribution A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for distributing narcotics. Hartford County resident McClendon Jones, age 40, of Bloomfield, was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 8, by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley to the prison time, followed by four years of supervised release, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut John H. Durham. According to court documents and statements made in court, on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2019, Jones sped away from investigators who were conducting a traffic stop in Hartford and his car sideswiped a city transit bus.   He eventually lo…
Fairfield County Duo Charged In Connection To Car Theft Rings Fairfield County Duo Charged In Connection To Car Theft Rings
Fairfield County Duo Charged In Connection To Car Theft Rings Two men from Fairfield County could face up to 20 years in prison after collectively stealing at least 15 vehicles, authorities said.  The two men, police said, are members of a Connecticut car theft ring, stealing numerous motor vehicles and stealing valuables from cars left open at night in upper-middle-class areas. Police in Westly, Rhode Island spotted 21-year-old Christopher "Chucky" Mulkern and 20-year-old Edwin Cordero, both of Stratford, shortly after midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 2 in a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Westport the day before, according to the offic…
Drug Dealer In New Haven-To-Fitchburg Trafficking Ring Gets 10 Years In Prison Drug Dealer In New Haven-To-Fitchburg Trafficking Ring Gets 10 Years In Prison
Drug Dealer In New Haven-To-Fitchburg Trafficking Ring Gets 10 Years In Prison An ex-convict from Hamden was sentenced to over 10 years in prison and eight years of post-supervision release for his part in a narcotics trafficking ring.  Frank "FL" Carr, 53, provided a kilogram of cocaine to the leader of a drug trafficking network in March of 2019 and sold crack-cocaine to undercover FBI agents on two occasions in May and June, according to the office of U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. Carr sold 78 grams of crack to agents for $3,000 during one of these exchanges, police said.  On July 9 of 2019, Carr and 24 other individuals associated with the "Island B…
Waterbury Man Sentenced For Role In Heroin, Fentanyl Trafficking Waterbury Man Sentenced For Role In Heroin, Fentanyl Trafficking
Waterbury Man Sentenced For Role In Heroin, Fentanyl Trafficking A 24-year-old man was sentenced to 87 months in prison and five years of post-release supervision for his role in a heroin trafficking ring. Roney Sosa of Waterbury reportedly processed and packaged kilograms of narcotics from suppliers in Connecticut and New York at a Bishop Street apartment per the orders of Nestor Sosa-Ortiz, according to the office of U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. Sosa-Ortiz was reportedly arrested in New York City on Monday, May 18 after law enforcement seized about 2 kilograms of fentanyl and 2 kilograms of heroin in a sting operation. While Sosa was involved in this …
CT Man Accused Of Mailing Threatening Letters, Some With White Powder CT Man Accused Of Mailing Threatening Letters, Some With White Powder
CT Man Accused Of Mailing Threatening Letters, Some With White Powder A 70-year-old Connecticut man could face a prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of $250,000 for allegedly mailing letters to a victim threatening to harm them and their spouse, some of which contained a white powdery substance that the man wrote: "could be rat poison or ricin." Testing of one of the letters, sent in October of this year, determined that the substance added by sender Nicholas Sepesko, of Hamden, was harmless calcium carbonate, according to the office of U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John H. Durham. The contents of the other two letters containing the substance rep…
Felon From Fairfield County Admits To Having Gun, Feds Say Felon From Fairfield County Admits To Having Gun, Feds Say
Felon From Fairfield County Admits To Having Gun, Feds Say A Fairfield County man has pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Allen Lusmat, 30, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Nov. 18, to possessing the gun in New Haven when he entered a convenience store, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 10, 2019, Tyrell Cox-Henderson entered a convenience store in New Haven and placed a Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolver behind some merchandise on a shelf. Approximately one hour later, Lusmat enter…
CT Meat Supplier Sentenced For Fabricating E. Coli Test Results CT Meat Supplier Sentenced For Fabricating E. Coli Test Results
CT Meat Supplier Sentenced For Fabricating E. Coli Test Results A Connecticut meat supplier has been sentenced to two years of probation for fabricating E. coli test results at his meat processing business Matt Beqiri, 33, of Tolland, was sentenced on Tuesday, Nov. 24, and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, Beqiri is the owner and general manager of New England Meat Packing, located in Stafford Springs, a federally inspected business engaged in the slaughtering, processing, selling, and transporting of meat and meat food products fo…
Feds: Man Stole, Sold Tires, Rims From Luxury Auto Dealers In Westchester, Fairfield Counties Feds: Man Stole, Sold Tires, Rims From Luxury Auto Dealers In Westchester, Fairfield Counties
Feds: Man Stole, Sold Tires, Rims From Luxury Auto Dealers In Westchester, Fairfield Counties An out-of-state man has indicted by a grand jury on charges that he ran a scheme to steal tires ad rims from new vehicles at luxury car dealerships in Westchester, Fairfield and New Haven counties and elsewhere. Michael Farias, 54, of Providence, Rhode Island, was charged on Wednesday, Nov. 18, following an investigation by the FBI and police departments from Shelton, Milford, Waterbury, and Darien, and Bedford, New York, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. As alleged in the indictment, between May 2015 and August 2018, Farias and others stole tires and rims …
Employee At CT Used Car Dealership Admits To Role In Loan Fraud Scheme Employee At CT Used Car Dealership Admits To Role In Loan Fraud Scheme
Employee At CT Used Car Dealership Admits To Role In Loan Fraud Scheme An employee of an area car dealership has pleaded guilty to write fraud as part of an auto loan scheme. Justin Williams, 42, of Rocky Hill, pleaded guilty on Friday, Nov. 20, to taking part in the scheme at Car Nation in Middletown, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams worked as a salesman and de facto general manager at Car Nation, sometimes known as Middletown Motorcars, which was owned and operated by George Hajati.  In connection with automobile loan applications for multiple borrowe…
Five Nabbed For Distributing Narcotics In New Haven Five Nabbed For Distributing Narcotics In New Haven
Five Nabbed For Distributing Narcotics In New Haven Five area men have been arrested for allegedly running a large distribution ring of heroin and crack cocaine in New Haven. The five men were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 19 on federal narcotics charges, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to statements made in court, these prosecutions are part of a coordinated law enforcement effort to address rising drug-related violence in the Newhallville section of New Haven. The men were arrested following a grand jury indictment on Monday, Nov. 9. Those charged include: Herman Bellamy, 43, of East Haven, cha…
Supervisor At Fairfield Post Office Admits To Stealing Cash From Mail Supervisor At Fairfield Post Office Admits To Stealing Cash From Mail
Supervisor At Fairfield Post Office Admits To Stealing Cash From Mail A 37-year-old area woman pleaded guilty to stealing cash and other items from mail while employed as a postal supervisor at the Town of Fairfield Post Office. Jessica Giles, 37, of West Haven, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to the theft of mail by a postal employee, said John H. Durham, U.S.Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service. According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2019 and May 2020, while she was employed as a supervisor at the U.S. Pos…
CT Woman Admits Lying To Grand Jury About Kidnapping, Triple Homicide CT Woman Admits Lying To Grand Jury About Kidnapping, Triple Homicide
CT Woman Admits Lying To Grand Jury About Kidnapping, Triple Homicide A 26-year-old Connecticut woman has admitted to making false statements before a federal grand jury in connection with an investigation into the kidnapping and murder of two individuals, and the related murder of a third individual, in November 2015, authorities announced. According to court documents and statements made in Bridgeport Court,  On Nov. 16, 2015, Laquasia Samms, also known as “Quasia,” 26, of New Haven, was present when an illegal firearm transaction was occurring in her apartment on Shelton Avenue in New Haven. Damian Connor and Tamar Lawrence were also pr…
Network Of Drug Dealers Charged For Trafficking In Connecticut Network Of Drug Dealers Charged For Trafficking In Connecticut
Network Of Drug Dealers Charged For Trafficking In Connecticut Seven men have been indicted in connection with heroin and crack cocaine trafficking in New Haven, according to United States Attorney John H. Durham.  Five New Haven men and one North Branford man, who were reportedly part of a drug-smuggling ring, were arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 16 months after their group's New Haven kingpin was detained in December of last year.   A federal jury in New Haven charged the following men with felonies for conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine: Michael Smith, also known as “Head,” 34, of New Haven, who has been detained in poli…
Former CT Postal Worker Admits To Stealing Cash, Gift Cards In Mail Former CT Postal Worker Admits To Stealing Cash, Gift Cards In Mail
Former CT Postal Worker Admits To Stealing Cash, Gift Cards In Mail A mail carrier pleaded guilty on Sept. 8 to stealing over 100 pieces of mail and pocketing any cash or gift cards inside. Elizabeth Urbani, a 42-year-old West Haven resident who was employed in New Haven, was released on a $50,000 bond after pleading guilty to the felony of theft of mail by a USPS employee, waiving her right to be indicted. She could face a maximum sentence of five years.  The theft was discovered after multiple complaints in December of 2019 established a pattern of mail missing from individuals on Urbani's route.  An investigation conducted by USPS, according t…
CT Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm, Ammunition CT Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm, Ammunition
CT Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm, Ammunition A Glock model 26, a 99mm pistol and a box of 50 rounds of .38 special ammunition were found in the home of an ex-convict living in New Haven County, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut John H. Durham announced on Thursday, Sept. 10. Demetrius Drew, of New Haven, 25, was reportedly charged with the felonies of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon after police conducted a court-authorized search of his home on Wednesday, Aug. 18.  It is a violation fo federal law for an ex-convict to own a firearm or ammunition that has …
CT Postal Employee Admits To Stealing Mail CT Postal Employee Admits To Stealing Mail
CT Postal Employee Admits To Stealing Mail A woman who worked as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service admitted to stealing mail. John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Wednesday, Aug. 19 that Amy Makaros, of New Britain, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to theft of mail by a postal employee. According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2018 and February 2019, while she was employed as a USPS mail carrier in Farmington, Makaros stole numerous pieces of mail. Those stolen items included greeting cards that contained gift card…
Bookkeeper In Fairfield County Sentenced For $418K Embezzlement Scheme Bookkeeper In Fairfield County Sentenced For $418K Embezzlement Scheme
Bookkeeper In Fairfield County Sentenced For $418K Embezzlement Scheme A bookkeeper in Fairfield County has been sentenced to prison for fraud and tax offenses stemming from an embezzlement scheme. Penni Sherman, also known as Penni Parker, 53, of Norwalk, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to eight months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release on Friday, Aug. 14.  Shea ordered Sherman to spend the first two months of supervised release in home confinement. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sherman operated PSP Accounting & Bookkeeping, and provided bookkeeping services to ar…
Connecticut Man Indicted For Threat To Kill Trump, Bomb, Anthrax Hoaxes Connecticut Man Indicted For Threat To Kill Trump, Bomb, Anthrax Hoaxes
Connecticut Man Indicted For Threat To Kill Trump, Bomb, Anthrax Hoaxes A 51-year-old man has been indicted on 16 counts for numerous malicious incidents of intimidation that mentioned the use of explosives and bio-toxins, and for threatening to kill President Donald Trump, John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Saturday, May 11. A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a 16-count indictment on Friday, May 10, charging Gary Joseph Gravelle, also known as Roland Prejean, with threatening to kill, injure and intimidate people and explode property in Connecticut and elsewhere. As alleged in the indictment, in September 2…
Bridgeport Man Admits To Heroin Distribution, Firearm Possession Bridgeport Man Admits To Heroin Distribution, Firearm Possession
Bridgeport Man Admits To Heroin Distribution, Firearm Possession A man from Bridgeport has admitted to distributing heroin and possession of a firearm, according to John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Ismael Mangual, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven on Thursday, March 28. Court documents and statements show that on August 31, 2017, Milford Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Mangual was driving. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Mangual did not have a license, and the vehicle was not registered or insured. There was also a six-year-old child in the back seat…
Nationally Known Westchester Restaurant Owner Admits To Evading $816K In Taxes Nationally Known Westchester Restaurant Owner Admits To Evading $816K In Taxes
Nationally Known Westchester Restaurant Owner Admits To Evading $816K In Taxes A nationally known food celebrity known as "Lord of the Pies" who owns restaurants in Westchester and Fairfield counties has admitted to filing false income tax returns and payroll tax returns totaling nearly a million dollars.Bruno DiFabio, 49, of Ridgefield has ownership interest in the following: Pinocchio Pizza in New Canaan and Wilton, Connecticut; Amore Pizza in Scarsdale, Amore Cucina and Bar in Stamford; ReNapoli Pizza in Old Greenwich. DiFabio’s business partner, Stamford resident Steven Cioffi, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false t…
Ex-Northern Westchester Restaurant Owner Admits To Scheming IRS Out Of $122K Ex-Northern Westchester Restaurant Owner Admits To Scheming IRS Out Of $122K
Ex-Northern Westchester Restaurant Owner Admits To Scheming IRS Out Of $122K The 32-year-old owner of three restaurants in Northern Westchester and Fairfield County has admitted to scheming the Internal Revenue Service out of more than $122,000. Stamford resident Steven Cioffi paid employees under the table and skimmed cash off restaurant books, according to John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England. Cioffi owned 50 percent of Nepperhan Restaurants Group, Inc., doing business as ReNapoli Pizza, in Old Greenwich, and Pinocchio Pizza in Pound Ridge, which …