Wallingford Man Charged with Federal Heroin and Amphetamine Distribution Offenses

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a grand jury in Hartford returned a four-count superseding indictment yesterday charging TIMOTHY ESTRIDGE, 37, of Wallingford, with drug trafficking offenses.

This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 16, 2017, the Wallingford Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a Wallingford residence after a 9-1-1 call reported the untimely death of a 38-year-old male.  The caller who reported the death did not leave contact information and was not on scene when responders arrived.  The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, where investigators seized evidence of illicit drug use, including a small plastic baggy containing approximately eight suspected oxycodone pills, a glass dish with white powder residue, a broken credit card, prescription pill bottles, piece of wax folds commonly used as heroin packaging, and a used plastic syringe.

The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be intoxication of a combination of heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam, amphetamine, and ethanol.

It is alleged that, on multiple occasions between July and December 2017, ESTRIDGE possessed and distributed heroin and amphetamines.  It is further alleged that ESTRIDGE supplied narcotics to the overdose victim shortly before the victim was found dead.

The indictment charges ESTRIDGE with two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, amphetamine.  The charges carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.

ESTRIDGE has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on April 3, 2018.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Wallingford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.