News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2006

Stamford Man Involved in Fairfield County Crack Cocaine & PCP Ring is Sentenced

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 LUIS RODRIGUEZ, age 29, of 91 Finney Lane, Stamford, Connecticut, was sentenced yesterday, August 29, by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to time already served – approximately one month of imprisonment – and four years of supervised release, for possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing phencyclidine (“PCP”). RODRIGUEZ pleaded guilty to the offense on July 7, 2005.

RODRIGUEZ’ conviction stems from a federal investigation into a crack cocaine and PCP distribution ring in Fairfield County. In early 2005, federal and local law enforcement officers arrested 30 individuals in Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk, and Bridgeport as part of the investigation. Law enforcement officers also conducted searches of nine residences in Connecticut and New York and recovered crack cocaine, PCP, drug packaging materials, narcotics paraphernalia, and United States currency.

On March 9, 2005, a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport returned a multi-count Indictment against RODRIGUEZ and others alleging various violations of the federal narcotics laws.

Although RODRIGUEZ was designated a Career Offender under federal sentencing law and faced a Sentencing Guideline range of 77 to 96 months, Judge Arterton departed from that sentence based on RODRIGUEZ’ extraordinary rehabilitative efforts to overcome a 14-year addiction to PCP and marijuana. After his arrest in February 2005, RODRIGUEZ was detained for a short period of time and then released to a six-month intensive inpatient substance abuse counseling facility. After successfully completing that program, RODRIGUEZ participated in outpatient counseling and has remained drug-free for 18 months.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. The Task Force consists of law enforcement officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bridgeport Police Department, Easton Police Department, Stratford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Stamford Police Department, and Greenwich Police Department.