Report: Two UConn Students Mastermind Manchester Home Invasion Robbery

UConn roommates from Stamford, looking for a big drugs and money haul, hired two other men to rob someone they knew who sold drugs — but when the victim’s credit cards were used, the trail led police to the students themselves, according to a Hartford Courant report.

Police gave this account (accusations not proven in court) of the matter, according to the newspaper:

At about 4 p.m. on Nov. 14, two men, one armed with a gun, broke into a home on Diane Drive in Manchester and ordered people inside to get on the floor. The purported drug dealer, who was visiting at the time, lost oxycodone pills, along with his wallet, cell phone and watch. Police have not charged the suspected drug dealer, although the investigation is continuing.

Michael Masiarz, one of the UConn students, was at the house and had arranged to buy 90 oxycodone pills for $1,550 from the victim. Masiarz didn’t let on that he was associated with the robbers — Ryan Burke, 21, of Hartford, and Danny Turkvan, 21, of Stamford. Turkvan is wanted by Stamford police on a charge of second-degree strangulation.

Police traced use of one of the victim’s credit cards to Turkvan in Storrs, and cell phone. Then interviews and, eventually, a search of Maisarz’ cell phone texts showed he and Adam DeFelice, 21, also from Stamford, had wanted to go outside their circle of “rich white kids” (in the words of the arrest warrant affidavit) to hide their involvement. So they hired Turkvan and Burke. DeFelice drove the robbers to the scene, and they burst in after Masairz texted DeFelice from inside the house. All four have been arrested.

For more details, see the story in the Hartford Courant.