Drug Trafficker Sentenced

STAMFORD, CT — A North Carolina man was sentenced to more than four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs in Connecticut.

Antonio Freeland, 27, traveled with an accomplice from North Carolina to Connecticut to acquire distribution quantities of drugs including heroin, cocaine and marijuana, according to the U.S. Attorney District of Connecticut office. In May 2016 they drove to Connecticut with $13,000 in cash to purchase drugs.

Freeland and his accomplice Michael Lundy traveled to B&B Deli in Bridgeport, which was a hub for drug dealing, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Police tried to stop them after they left the Deli, but they fled on I-95 southbound at a high rate of speed.

The chase reached speeds in excess of 110 mph and Freeland sideswiped one vehicle. He exited at exit 2 and rammed into the back of a minivan, which injured the occupant.

Freeland and Lundy were taken into custody and 370 grams of cocaine were seized.

More from U.S. Attorney's office:

As part of this investigation, law enforcement officers executed several federal search warrants on May 26 and May 27, 2016. A search of Bobby Gutierrez’s Stamford residence revealed a quantity of cocaine, $25,916 in cash and other items used in the trafficking of narcotics; a search of Gutierrez’s girlfriend’s residence revealed $47,316 in cash, more than three kilograms of cocaine, and two firearms, and a search B & B Deli revealed two digital scales, two large ziplock bags containing what appeared to be cutting agents, and five cellphones.
Freeland has been detained since his arrest.

On October 13, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Nine individuals were charged as a result of the investigation. All pleaded guilty. On March 16, 2017, Wilfredo Gutierrez was sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment. Lundy and Bobby Gutierrez are detained while awaiting sentencing.

The DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force includes members from the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk, Milford and Trumbull Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Heather Cherry.

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