United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MAY 02 - HARTFORD, Conn. - Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA’s New England Division, and Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Robert Cabanban Jr., 27, of New London, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 43 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on two occasions in September 2012, Cabanban sold heroin to an individual at his New London apartment. On September 26, 2012, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Cabanban’s apartment and seized approximately 12 grams of heroin, narcotics packaging materials and a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol.  Cabanban was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On July 15, 2013, he was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 48 months of imprisonment.

In June 2016, the Groton Town Police Department received information that Cabanban was selling heroin while out on day passes from a halfway house in Hartford. On July 1, 2016, investigators arranged a controlled purchase of 500 bags of heroin from Cabanban. Cabanban was arrested after he arrived at Groton motel to complete the transaction. Cabanban had been transferred from a federal Bureau of Prisons facility to a Hartford halfway house to complete his 48-month federal sentence, which was scheduled to conclude in September 2016.

On January 31, 2017, Cabanban pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. In addition to the federal firearm conviction, Cabanban’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for possession with intent to sell narcotics and burglary in the third degree. 

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Groton Town Police Department.