United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Michael J. Ferguson 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 Marlon Patterson, also known as “Head,” 32, of Danbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 192 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for orchestrating a series of 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, headed by Patterson and Michael Spears, which maintained a series of drug distribution locations, known as trap houses, in Danbury, out of which members of the organization sold crack cocaine and heroin.  The organization also rented hotel rooms where they packaged and distributed narcotics.  The investigation also revealed that Patterson, Spears and others had organized and committed armed home invasion robberies of marijuana dealers on January 30, February 14 and February 18, 2013.  During each of the robberies, Patterson and others, 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.

In addition, in May 2013, Patterson and his associate, Paul Whitehurst, kidnapped an individual who owed Whitehurst a drug debt of approximately $100.  Whitehurst physically and verbally assaulted the victim as they drove to a nearby reservoir. At the reservoir, Whitehurst pushed the victim into the water and then threw rocks at him.  Patterson recorded the incident on his phone and can be heard laughing in the video.  Patterson and Whitehurst then drove the victim to a liquor store and purchased a liter of vodka, which Whitehurst forced the victim to drink in its entirety in approximately 15 minutes until the victim lost consciousness. The victim, still unconscious, was then driven to a trap house where he was locked in a bathroom overnight.  The next day, Patterson and Whitehurst directed the victim to work off his drug debt by selling heroin to customers.  After selling the drugs, the victim was released.

Patterson’s criminal history includes several felony convictions.  In September 2007, he shot an individual in the face and subsequently served approximately five years of imprisonment.  Sometime after his release from prison he had the words “Face Shot” tattooed on his arm.  Patterson faces up to eight years of state incarceration for violating his probation.  Patterson has been detained since his arrest on October 16, 2013.  On May 1, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence.  Spears has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.  Whitehurst also pleaded guilty and, on March 20, 2015, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment.

This matter was 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, Branford, Meriden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Derby and Ansonia Police Departments.