Wallingford Man Faces Federal Drug Charges

A Wallingford man faces federal charges for allegedly being a customer in a heroin and crack distribution ring in the greater New Haven area.

U.S. States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a superseding indictment on Oct. 20 charging the following individuals with federal narcotics offenses:

• Shawn Miller, aka “White Boy Shawn,” 31, of Hamden
• Paul Colon, aka “Paul Cane,” 27, of West Haven
• Robbie Smith, aka “Lil Rob,” 27, of New Haven
• Sean London, 22, of New Haven
• Robert Oathout, 35, of Branford
• Jason Langley, 40, of East Haven
• Harry Anastasio, 54, of East Haven
• Antonio DeLucia, 27, of Wallingford

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets Task Force, in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Haven, West Haven, Milford, Hamden and other local police departments, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.

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As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the investigation focused on a heroin and crack distribution ring operating in the greater New Haven area, and headed by Miller and Colon, according to Tom Carson, spokesman for the United States Attorney District of Connecticut Office.

The investigation revealed that members of the ring took orders over a cell phone from drug customers in several shoreline communities for quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, and then delivered the drugs by car, according to Carson.

During the course of the investigation, agents and officers of the Task Force employed a variety of techniques, including debriefings of informants, physical surveillance, supervised purchases of heroin and crack, a court-authorized wiretap and the execution of federal search warrants.

On June 24, 2015, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Smith and London with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine, and London with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances.

The indictment also charged DeLucia, Anastasio, Langley, and Oathout, all of whom are alleged to be drug customers of the conspiracy, each with two counts of using a telephone to facilitate a narcotics trafficking felony, according to Carson.

The 11-count superseding indictment adds charges against Miller and Colon, and alleges that between November 2014 and May 2015, Miller, Colon, Smith and London conspired to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. The superseding indictment also charges Miller with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine.

If convicted, Miller and Colon face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment on the conspiracy charge. Miller also faces up to 20 years in prison on the distribution charge.

London faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years on the conspiracy charge, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on the distribution charge.

Smith faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on the conspiracy charge.

Oathout, Anastasio, Langley, and DeLucia each face a maximum term of imprisonment of four years on each count of using a telephone to facilitate a narcotics trafficking felony.

Miller was arrested on Wednesday and is released on bond, according to Carson. Colon is in state custody on an unrelated charge.

The original indictment also charged Jeffrey Smith, aka “J-Money,” 21, of New Haven, with various offenses. On September 21, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base, and is awaiting sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys H. Gordon Hall and Jennifer R. Laraia.