Norwalk Cocaine Distributor Sentenced To 32 Months In Federal Prison

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN YERINIDES, 51, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport to approximately 32 months of imprisonment, time already served, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.

This matter stems from a year-long investigation headed by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Norwalk Police Department into the distribution of oxycodone, cocaine and marijuana in Fairfield County.  Sixteen individuals were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation.

According to court documents and statements made in court, YERINIDES was intercepted approximately 180 times over a court-authorized wiretap engaging in telephonic and text communications with Konstantinos Zografidis, who was identified as a primary distributor of oxycodone and cocaine.  The investigation revealed that YERINIDES was predominantly obtaining large quantities of cocaine from Zografidis for further distribution.

YERINIDES has been detained since arrest on June 12, 2012.  On April 17, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Zografidis has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Norwalk Police Department, with assistance provided by the Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford and Westport Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa Richards and Michael Runowicz.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

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