United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Michael J. Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Harland Fields, 28, of the Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking oxycodone.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force began investigating an oxycodone trafficking operation headed by Nicholas Dyber of West Hartford.  The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of oxycodone, physical surveillance and the use of an undercover officer, revealed that Dyber was being supplied with bulk quantities of oxycodone by Fields and also Eduardo Garcia of Modesto, California.  At times, Dyber paid Brian Vanderpool, of West Hartford, to travel to New York to pick up oxycodone from Fields and transport the pills to Dyber in Connecticut.  Dyber distributed the pills he received from Fields and Garcia to customers and other Hartford-area distributors.

Fields has been detained since his arrest on October 11, 2013.  On May 27, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5,000 oxycodone pills.

Dyber, Garcia and Vanderpool have also pleaded guilty.  On August 21, 2014, Garcia was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.  Dyber and Vanderpool await sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia and Meriden Police Departments.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Caruso.