Crime & Safety

Feds: New London Heroin Dealer Gets 70 Months in Prison

The case is tied to an investigation to combat the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut.

A 41-year-old New London man who was allegedly distributing large amounts of heroin in southeastern Connecticut was sentenced today to 70 months in prison.

The prison time will be followed by four years of supervised released, according to Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
 
Authorities said the man, Xavier Cluff, was intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps ordering 100-gram quantities of heroin from his drug supplier, Luis Ariel Capellan Maldonado, for distribution purposes. Cluff was identified as one of Maldonado’s largest and most frequent customers, according to court documents and statements made in court. 

Cluff has been detained since his arrest on April 3, 2013. 

His arrest came about as a result of an investigation kicked off in early 2012 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Secret Service and the New London Police Department, to combat the large-scale trafficking of heroin and cocaine from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico into and around southeastern Connecticut. 

On Dec. 13, 2013, Cluff pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven. 

Authorities said more than 100 individuals have been charged with federal and state offenses as a result of this investigation. Maldonado has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Secret Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; Connecticut State Police; New London Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Waterford Police Department, Groton Town Police Department, East Lyme Police Department and Putnam Police Department. 

The United States Marshals Service; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Assistant Attaché, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; HSI Arecibo, Puerto Rico Resident Office;  Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services; and the Groton City, Willimantic, New Haven and Bristol Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alina P. Reynolds, Sarah P. Karwan and Henry K. Kopel. The state cases are being prosecuted by the State’s Attorney for the New London Judicial District and Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Paul Narducci and Stephen Carney.


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