Connecticut U.S. Attorney's Office Celebrates Annual U.S. Attorney's Awards

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted its annual United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 14, in New Haven.  The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized 126 individuals for their investigative efforts and other contributions to 24 significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut.  More than 40 of the award recipients are members of local police departments from across Connecticut.

“We in the U.S. Attorney’s Office are forever mindful that our work and success are dependent on the dedicated efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney John H. Durham.  “On behalf of everyone in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, my sincere congratulations to all of our award recipients, many of whom put themselves at risk every day for the safety of our communities.”

In addition to the criminal and civil case awards, U.S. Attorney Durham presented several special awards during the ceremony.

The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to Special Agent Daniel Prather of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, for his outstanding and tireless work to reduce drug trafficking and associated gun violence across Connecticut during his 15-year career in federal law enforcement.

The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Partnership was presented to State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office.  State’s Attorney Griffin and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office have worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute some of New Haven’s most persistent and violent offenders, and on innovative efforts to reduce violent crime in the region.

The Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit Award was presented to a team of investigators who exposed a greater New Haven “fencing” operation that was responsible for nearly $10 million in losses to major retailers over the last decade.  Five individuals involved in the scheme were charged and convicted due to the work of the members of the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Connecticut State Police who conducted this investigation.

The Major Crimes Unit Award was given to Special Agent Ryan Mahar of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who was honored for expertly investigating complex child exploitation, fraud and identity theft offenses, and serves as a valuable resource to other investigators as a computer forensic specialist.

The National Security and Cyber Crimes Unit Award honored three Internal Revenue Service agents for their diligent investigation of a former police officer turned “Sovereign Citizen” who, for years, made numerous frivolous court filings and used other obstructive tactics while continuing to live in a home on which he never made a mortgage payment.

The Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit Award was presented to Detective Frank Bellizzi, who recently retired after a 20-year career with the New Britain Police Department.  For 12 years, Detective Bellizzi served as a task force officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and played a critical role in investigating large-scale drug trafficking organizations, which resulted in the successful prosecution of dozens of federal defendants.

The Civil Division’s Affirmative Enforcement and Civil Rights Unit Award was given to

Professor Jon Bauer of the UConn School of Law for providing critical support to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in resolving an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint related to the alleged discrimination against individuals with mental health disabilities in the admission process for the Connecticut Bar.

The Civil Division’s Financial Litigation Unit recognized both Trial Attorney Ann D’Arpino of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and John Carroll, an Advisor with the Internal Revenue Service, for providing valuable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for many years.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation.  The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford.