Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced that BRADLEY COMMERFORD, 20, of Derby, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of distribution of heroin to an individual who is under 21 years of age.
This 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 have been investigating two non-fatal heroin overdoses that occurred in Shelton on February 16, 2016, and one fatal overdose that occurred in Derby on February 17, 2016. The Derby overdose resulted in the death of a 23-year-old male. The Shelton overdoses involved one individual who was 18 and another who was 22.
The investigation, which includes victim and witness interviews, as well as analysis of numerous text messages of the decedent’s phone, identified COMMERFORD as the heroin source of supply in all three overdose cases. The investigation also revealed that COMMERFORD sold heroin to a 16-year-old individual who did not overdose.
The charge of distribution of heroin to an individual who is under 21 years of age carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year, a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a term of supervised release of no less than six years, and a fine of up to $2 million.
COMMERFORD is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on July 28, 2016. He has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on February 18, 2016.
The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon and Wilton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Spector.