News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2006

Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Charges

JUL 31 -- June W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MARINO DELOSSANTOS, 35, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, pleaded guilty on Friday, July 28th before United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in Bridgeport to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, in October 2005, the Bridgeport Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force commenced an investigation into a cocaine and heroin trafficking operation in and around Bridgeport and Norwalk. As a result of the investigation, DELOSSANTOS was arrested on state charges on October 26, 2005, and was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on March 7, 2006.

In pleading guilty, DELOSSANTOS admitted that during October 2005 he agreed to sell cocaine and heroin to an undercover task force agent. DELOSSANTOS admitted that he served as a distributor for an operation distributing these drugs throughout Bridgeport and surrounding municipalities. DELOSSANTOS admitted that he was a member of a conspiracy involved in the distribution of more than 800 grams of cocaine and more than 100 grams of heroin.

Judge Hall has scheduled sentencing for October 18, 2006, at which time DELOSSANTOS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of life.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, which includes the Stratford, Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, and Easton Police Departments.