Glastonbury Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Distributing Heroin to a Minor

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN POULIN, 25, formerly of Glastonbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release, for distributing heroin to a minor.

“This is truly tragic story and one that is playing out in our state at an alarming rate,” said U.S. Attorney Daly.  “There were nearly 400 heroin-related overdose deaths in Connecticut in 2015, which is an increase of approximately 50 percent since 2013.  This epidemic is deeply disturbing and must be addressed from a number of perspectives.  From the law enforcement perspective, together with the DEA and local police departments, we will continue to prioritize investigations of heroin overdoses and prosecutions of traffickers responsible for overdoses.” 

According to court documents and statements made in court, a long-term Drug Enforcement Administration Hartford Task Force investigation has focused on the distribution of Fentanyl-laced heroin that contributed to several heroin overdoses in the Hartford area.  Fentanyl is a powerful opioid analgesic used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain that cannot be controlled with other medicines.  It is approximately 80 times more potent than morphine, and is potentially lethal, even at very low levels.

On February 15, 2014, East Windsor Police and other emergency personnel responded to a residence in East Windsor on a report of a possible drug overdose.  A 14-year-old female victim was transported to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford and died the following day.  The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently determined the manner of death was an accident and the cause of death was heroin and fentanyl intoxication.

The investigation revealed that POULIN was involved in a relationship with a 16-year-old girl from East Windsor.  On February 12, 2014, POULIN drove his minor girlfriend to Hartford to purchase heroin.  POULIN and his minor girlfriend thereafter used the heroin together.

The investigation further revealed that on February 14, 2014, POULIN and an acquaintance traveled to a heroin dealer in the Hartford area where POULIN’s acquaintance brokered a deal for two bundles (20 dose bags) of heroin for $80.  The heroin was stamped “New World.”  POULIN and his acquaintance then traveled to Portland, Connecticut, where the acquaintance injected himself with three bags of the “New World” heroin and passed out.  POULIN immediately left.  Later that afternoon, POULIN arrived at his 16-year-old girlfriend’s house and injected a quantity of the “New World” heroin before he and his girlfriend went out to dinner for Valentine’s Day.  When they returned from dinner, POULIN injected more of the “New World” heroin.

The next thing POULIN remembered from that evening is that someone put him in the shower to revive him.

The following morning, POULIN gave a bag of the “New World” heroin to his girlfriend. After seeing the heroin’s effect on POULIN and believing that it was too strong, POULIN’s girlfriend traded the heroin to her 14-year-old friend in exchange for a different bag of heroin.  On the morning of February 15, 2014, POULIN’s girlfriend and her 14-year-old friend injected heroin.  The 14-year-old showered and went to sleep.  She never woke up.

POULIN was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 31, 2014, and was released into a substance abuse and counseling program.  He has been detained since September 26, 2014, when his bond was revoked for violating the conditions of his release.  On September 21, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a controlled substance to a minor.

This matter was investigated by the DEA Hartford Task Force and the East Windsor Police Department.  The Task force includes participants from the Bristol, East Hartford, Hartford, Manchester, Newington, New Britain, Wethersfield and Willimantic Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.