News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2005

Three Fairfield County Residents Sentenced
for Possessing Crack Cocaine

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 DONALD HRNCIAR, age 37, of 33 West View Place, Riverside, Connecticut; LEONARD MOLLO, age 51, of 10 Renwich Street, Stamford, Connecticut; and DONALD SABIA, age 58, of 360 Westover Road, Stamford, were sentenced this week in New Haven federal court to knowingly and unlawfully possessing cocaine base, otherwise known as crack cocaine. HRNCIAR, MOLLO and SABIA each pleaded guilty to the offense.

United States Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis sentenced HRNCIAR and SABIA on July 25 and July 29, respectively. Each received a two-year term of probation and ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $1,000. On July 28, MOLLO was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz to a term of imprisonment of 15 days, one year of supervised release and a $2,500 fine. MOLLO was previously convicted in state court of at least one narcotics offense. HRNCIAR, MOLLO, and SABIA each were ordered by the Court to set aside an additional $500 to be applied to drug counseling.

During the last week of February 2005, federal and local law enforcement agencies arrested 30 individuals in Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and the Bronx, New York, as part of an investigation into the distribution of crack cocaine and phencyclidine, otherwise known as PCP, in southwestern Connecticut. HRNCIAR, MOLLO, and SABIA were arrested at that time as part of the United States Department of Justice's" Demand Reduction" initiative, which targets drug purchasers for prosecution. In addition to HRNCIAR, MOLLO, and SABIA, eight other "Demand Reduction" defendants in this investigation have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

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