Man Accused Of Selling Fentanyl In Fairfield County: Stamford PD

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford police said on Tuesday a 36-year-old Bridgeport man is accused of selling fentanyl throughout Fairfield County, and he was arrested last Friday at the SoNo Collection Mall in Norwalk after a lengthy investigation.

Edson Casseus, an employee at a retail store at the mall, was arrested on Jan. 21 around 1 p.m. on a warrant that charges him with three counts of sale of narcotics, according to Capt. Richard Conklin of the Stamford Police Department. Conklin said the sales were made to an undercover officer.

Stamford's Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit made the arrest with the assistance of the Norwalk Police Department's Special Services Division after Casseus went to his car during a work break, Conklin noted.

Search warrants were conducted on the car and at Casseus' Bridgeport home. Police found four grams of crack cocaine, 14 illegal pills, and $3,936 in cash in his car, and other drug paraphernalia in Bridgeport, Conklin said. Casseus was additionally charged with possession of narcotics and possession of a controlled substance.

Casseus was held on a $125,000 bond, but because he was out on parole for previous drug-related charges, he was ordered to stay in custody, Conklin said.

Police had been investigating Casseus, who has lived in Stamford in the past, for four months. Conklin said he's well-known to the department and has a lengthy criminal history, mostly involving drug charges.

"Unfortunately he's out [on parole] and got right back into the mix and was selling fentanyl," Conklin said.

It's unclear if Casseus is linked to fentanyl overdose deaths in Stamford, Conklin said, but an investigation will continue. The SPD recently released a public safety warning to residents, alerting them that fentanyl-related deaths are on the rise.

Since last Thursday when a man was found dead on Stillwater Avenue due to an overdose, there have been two additional deaths in Stamford that appear related to the use of fentanyl-laced opiates, Conklin said.

The deaths have been spread around the city — in the East Side, West Side and South End.

Police were able to identify Casseus using "a variety of investigative techniques." Conklin said because of Casseus' experience, the investigation was challenging.

"Casseus has been through the system numerous times, been arrested and convicted for narcotics dealing and certainly he learns by his mistakes," Conklin said. "It took a long time to cultivate this investigation."

But Conklin praised the SPD's Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit as well as Officer Steven Orgera for working on the investigation. He also thanked the Norwalk Police Department for their assistance.