'High Level' Heroin Dealer Sentenced in Death of Newtown Mother

NEWTOWN, CT — A Waterbury man who authorities regarded as a "high-level" heroin dealer will spend the next several years in prison in connection to the death of a 30-year-old mother of three from Newtown.

U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill sentenced Ronald Weaver, 38, to 52 months in prison (4 years and three months) in Bridgeport Thursday. Weaver also faces three years of supervised release for distributing heroin.

Weaver was also ordered to surrender a 2006 Infiniti M35, a 2007 Lexus ES350, and $1,956 in cash seized from him at the time of his arrest.

To sign up for Newtown breaking news alerts and more, click here.

Weaver had been tied to the death of the woman on March 11, 2016 after finding that she had purchased heroin and other drugs from at least two sources in the days leading up to her death. Investigations later determined that one of the sources worked as a "runner" for Weaver.

Police also said that during the investigation, they found several small bags of heroin with a scorpion emblem commonly used by Weaver. Law enforcement officials had made four controlled buys of heroin from Weaver.

He was arrested on Aug. 9, 2016, and plead guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and the distribution of heroin.

Prior to sentencing, the government's memorandum indicated that Weaver sold nearly 1,000 individual doses of heroin and made as much as $6,000 per week from the operation. Weaver indicated in his own memorandum that he is now a father of a young daughter, and and regularly gives back to the community.

Image via Shutterstock