State Police Dispatcher Caught In Manchester Drug Sting: Police

MANCHESTER, CT — A dispatcher for the Connecticut State Police was caught in a drug sting in Manchester Tuesday and is now facing charges along with the target of the operation — a suspected drug dealer — authorities said.

Lakeisha Murphy, 32, of East Hartford, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, judicial system records show. She posted a $20,000 bond and is due in court on Oct. 25, records show.

State police released the following statement:

"Lakeisha Murphy has been placed on paid administrative leave, she is not authorized to represent the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and is not authorized to access or utilize any law enforcement computer database(s). This paid administrative leave is pending the outcome of the Manchester PD investigation and a CSP Internal Affairs investigation."

State police said Lakeisha Murphy was assigned as a dispatcher at the Message Center at the CSP Middletown headquarters and been a dispatcher since 2013.

Manchester Police Department spokesman Lt. Ryan Shea said the East Central Narcotics Task Force was tracking a suspected crack cocaine and fentanyl dealer identified as Ryan Thompson. Murphy was a passenger in a vehicle with Thompson when task force officers approached it during a delivery Tuesday, Shea said.

Records show that the task force seized about 1 gram of crack along with a handgun registered to Murphy that was located on the passenger side front floorboard of the vehicle. Police have confiscated the gun and have informed the state firearms licensing unit about the sting, authorities said.

Thompson, 29, was wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet when he was arrested Tuesday, authorities said. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and the sale of narcotics for the sting. He was still in custody Thursday after failing to post a $100,000 bond, judicial system records show.

Thompson was also served two additional warrants with the same two charges, each with an additional $75,000 bond, which he failed to post, records show. He is due in court on Nov. 2 in all three cases, records show.

Thompson is also due in court that day to face a breach of peace charge related to a Manchester arrest on June 3, records show. He had posted $1,000 bail in that case.