North Haven Man Sentenced for Trafficking Prescription Drugs

North Haven’s Brian Earl, 40, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking prescription narcotics, U.S. States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced on Friday.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2013, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Ansonia Police Department initiated an investigation into James Costanzo, who had been identified as an illegal distributor of narcotic pharmaceuticals in Ansonia.

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The investigation, which included multiple controlled purchases of oxycodone and the use of electronic surveillance, revealed that Costanzo sold prescription narcotics to numerous customers from his Dwight Street residence.

The investigation further revealed that Earl supplied Costanzo with large quantities of oxycodone and other prescription narcotics, and also sold drugs to his own customers, according Daly.

Earl and Costanzo were arrested on January 23, 2014.

At the time of his arrest, Earl possessed $2,557 in cash, and a search of his North Haven residence revealed approximately 11,000 prescription pills, including oxycodone and oxymorphone.

On February 17, 2015, Earl pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone and oxymorphone.

On February 27, 2015, Costanzo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone and oxymorphone, and one count of knowingly engaging in a monetary transaction involving criminally derived property.

This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, the Ansonia Police Department and the Fairfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David X. Sullivan and Michael E. Runowicz.