State, Local And Federal Authorities Make Major Heroin Bust On Dealers Linked To OD Deaths

Six people have been charged in four drug overdose death investigations, including two in Granby and Vernon, respectively.

Federal authorities announced the arrests on Friday. The investigation involved several local police departments across the state, along with state police and federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to a news release.

Vernon police spokesman Lt. William Meier hailed the busts as another win in the war on drugs.

"Vernon police are continuously working together with federal authorities, including the Vernon officer assigned to the DEA tactical diversion squad to target suppliers of heroin and pills," Meier said.

He added the same goes for many of the departments involved.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut and Michael J. Ferguson, special Agent in charge of the DEA for New England, said the charges against the six men stem from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that "cause death or serious injury to users."

According to a criminal complaint charging Daniel Gamero, 23, of Hartford, and Charlie Tacuri 19, of Hartford, police in Hartford have been investigating the distribution of heroin marked with a particular brand stamp since February, according to a news release.

During the course of the investigation, there have been at least two overdose deaths to which heroin marked with the stamp has been linked - one in Vernon on Feb. 1 and one in Granby on March 22 - according to a news release. Between February and April 2016, law enforcement agents conducted four controlled purchases of heroin marked with the same stamp from Gamero and Tacuri, according to a news release.

Both were arrested on April 21, according to a news release.

On that date, a search of Gamero's Preston Street residence revealed hundreds of bags of heroin, marijuana and a firearm, according to a news release.

Gamero and Tacuri are currently being detained, according to a news release.

According to a criminal complaint charging Jonathan Fisher, 35, of Norwich, on April 9, 2016, Norwich Police responded to a medical emergency at Fisher's residence. The emergency involved an 18-year-old male who had died from an apparent heroin overdose, according to a news release.

Fisher was not present at the time law enforcement agents had arrived, a search of the victim’s wallet revealed one used "glassine baggy" and 10 "unopened baggies" marked with a particular brand stamp, according to a news release.

A field test of the substance in the baggies yielded "a positive presence" for both heroin and fentanyl, according to a news release.

Approximately one month prior to the overdose death, Fisher was arrested by Norwich Police after he was found in possession of numerous baggies of heroin that were marked with the same stamp, according to a news release.

On April 12, Norwich police arrested Fisher at a Norwich hotel, and a search of Fisher's wallet contained two glassine baggies containing suspected heroin and marked with the same brand stamp, according to a news release.

A search of the hotel room where Fisher had been staying revealed more than 300 bags of heroin, prescription narcotics, more than 1 pound of marijuana, a digital scale and hundreds of empty glassine bags marked with the same stamp, according to a news release.

Fisher was charged by federal complaint on April 20 and is being detained, according to a news release.

According to a criminal complaint charging 29-year-old Shelton resident Jorge Morales, who goes by the street name "Capone," on April 15, a 21-year-old female was found unresponsive at her Bridgeport residence and was transported to an area hospital, according to a news release.The victim has since been removed from life support and died, according to a news release.

Bridgeport police recovered two baggies of suspected heroin packaged in glassine baggies from the bed next to where the victim was located and the baggies were marked with a particular brand stamp, according to a news release. A cellular telephone seized from the victim revealed numerous calls and text messages between the victim and Morales in the days leading up the victim’s overdose. In addition, on April 15, law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of heroin, marked with the same brand stamp, from Morales, according to a news release.

Morales was charged by federal complaint on April 20 and is being detained, according to a news release.

According to a criminal complaint charging Timothy Paprocki, 33, of Ledyard and Rudy Hernandez, 43, of New London, on April 12, Groton town police responded to a report of a medical emergency involving a 25-year-old male, according to a news release.

The victim, who had used heroin and/or fentanyl, was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased, according to a news release. The investigation, which has included witness interviews and the review of cellphone records and text messages, revealed that the victim arranged to purchase heroin from Paprocki, and Paprocki then purchased heroin from Hernandez and distributed it to the victim, according to a news release.

On April 14, New London police and other law enforcement agents conducted a search of Hernandez’s residence and seized heroin, cocaine and multiple cellular telephones, according to a news release.

Paprocki and Hernandez were charged by federal complaint on April 20 and are being detained.

Daly said the investigations are being conducted by the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Hartford Task Force; the Statewide Narcotics Task Force, the Regional Community Enhancement Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Norwich, Bridgeport, Monroe, Groton Town, New London and Hartford Police Departments.

The Tactical Diversion Squad includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon and Wilton Police Departments.

The HIDTA Task Force includes participants from the Connecticut State Police and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, Bridgeport and Trumbull Police Departments. The Hartford Task Force includes participants from the Bristol, East Hartford, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Wethersfield and Willimantic Police Departments.