Derby Man Going to Prison in Fatal Heroin Case

DERBY, CT — A Derby man on Friday was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for distributing heroin, law enforcement authorities announced.

United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Deirdre Daly, and Michael J. Ferguson, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced that Bradley Commerford, 20, of Derby, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 71 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release.

Judge Thompson also ordered Commerford to perform 150 hours of community service while on supervised release, Daly said.

The matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, Derby Police Department and Shelton Police Department investigated two non-fatal heroin overdoses that occurred in Shelton on Feb. 16, and one fatal overdose that occurred in Derby on Feb. 17.

The Derby overdose resulted in the death of a 23-year-old male, Daly said.

The Shelton overdoses involved one individual who was 18 and another who was 22, she said.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently issued a report listing the Derby victim’s cause of death as “acute fentanyl intoxication.”

The investigation, which included victim and witness interviews, as well as analysis of numerous text messages from the phone of the deceased, identified Commerford as the heroin source of supply in all three overdose cases, Daly said.

The investigation also revealed that Commerford sold heroin to a 16-year-old individual who did not overdose.

“While this defendant has faced difficulties and struggled with addiction himself, his reckless behavior cannot be excused,” Daly said. “He regularly distributed heroin to teenagers and sold heroin after being convicted in state court of several serious felony offenses."

She added, "More disturbing, even after the overdose death in this case, he continued to sell heroin and was arrested while on his way to purchase a distribution quantity of heroin from his source in Waterbury. This sentence will help to protect the public, give this defendant substantial time to consider and address his own addiction and, hopefully provide some small measure of solace to the victim’s family. We will continue to prioritize opioid overdose cases and target heroin and fentanyl dealers to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and prosecute those responsible for it. I thank the DEA and task force partners for their tireless commitment to this effort.”

Said Ferguson, “Those suffering from the disease of heroin addiction need access to treatment and recovery. But, those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin and fentanyl to the citizens of Connecticut need to be held accountable for their actions. In response to the ongoing opioid epidemic DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this poison.”

Commerford has been is custody since his arrest on Feb. 18.

On May 6, he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin to an individual who is younger than 21, Daly said.