United States Drug Enforcement Administration

(NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Michael J. Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that on Friday, January 23, Scott Myrie, also known as “Venom,” 27, of Bedford Hills, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in two Danbury-area violent home invasion robberies of illegal drugs and drug trafficking proceeds.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2013 the Danbury Police Department began investigating a narcotics trafficking network that maintained a series of drug distribution locations, known as trap houses, in Danbury, out of which members of the organization sold crack and heroin.  The organization also rented hotel rooms where they packaged and distributed narcotics.  During the investigation, law enforcement learned that the individuals who headed the drug trafficking ring had organized and committed armed home invasion robberies of marijuana dealers.

Myrie participated in home invasion robberies on January 30 and February 18, 2013.  During both of these robberies, and a third robbery in which Myrie did not participate, several men wearing masks and armed with firearms forced entry into the residence of a known marijuana dealer.  Once inside, the perpetrators attempted to or did steal marijuana and cash.  In each instance, the perpetrators pistol whipped a victim and threatened to kill others within the home.

Myrie was armed with a .32 caliber handgun during both of the robberies in which he participated, and children were present in both homes.  During the robbery on February 18, Myrie struck a male victim in the head with the handgun repeatedly before dropping the gun during a struggle.  Investigators subsequently recovered the gun and found that it was fully loaded.

Myrie has been detained since his arrest on October 16, 2013.  On August 22, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery.

This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Danbury Police Department.  The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia and Meriden Police Departments.