East Lyme Man Sentenced To 37 Months In Federal Prison For Distributing Heroin

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LESTER FANTAUZZI, 47, of East Lyme, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.

In early 2012, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the U.S. Secret Service and the New London Police Department initiated an investigation to combat the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut.  More than 100 individuals were charged with federal and state offenses as a result of this investigation.

According to court documents and statements made in court, FANTAUZZI regularly purchased raw heroin from Luis Ariel Capellan Maldonado and distributed the drug to his own customer base from the Globe Spirit Shop, a liquor store he operated in New London.

FANTAUZZI was arrested on April 3, 2013.  On January 6, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin.

Capellan Maldonado has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; Connecticut State Police; New London Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Waterford Police Department, Groton Town Police Department, East Lyme Police Department and Putnam Police Department.  The United States Marshals Service; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Assistant Attaché, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; HSI Arecibo, Puerto Rico Resident Office;  Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services; and the Groton City, Willimantic, New Haven and Bristol Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alina P. Reynolds, Sarah P. Karwan and Henry K. Kopel.  The state cases are being prosecuted by the State’s Attorney for the New London Judicial District and Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Paul Narducci and Stephen Carney.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov