Naugatuck Man Charged With Distributing Narcotics Sentenced To Prison

NAUGATUCK, CT — A Naugatuck man accused of distributing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack has been sentenced to prison, according to court officials.

In a news release, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery announced Jason "Jay" Metz, 51, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police began an investigation in May 2020 into a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and crack in the Waterbury area.

The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones used by members of the organization, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs, Avery said.

According to Avery, the investigation revealed Metz worked closely with a person believed to be the head of the organization to distribute narcotics.

Between October 2020 and January 2021, Metz was intercepted numerous times on a wiretap ordering distribution quantities of narcotics from his New York supplier and coordinating the sale of narcotics to several associates who, in turn, sold the drugs to their own customers, Avery said.

In March 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Metz and 16 others, and Metz was arrested that same month.

On that day, officers executed seven search warrants and seized approximately 40,000 bags of heroin/fentanyl, 350 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of crack cocaine and nine firearms, Avery said.

Metz plead guilty in February, Avery said.