News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2003

BEVERLY MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN JAIL
IN HEROIN OVERDOSE CASE

OCT 3— Boston, MA….A Beverly man who sold heroin that resulted in the death of one of his customers was sentenced late yesterday in federal court to 20 years in prison.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Colonel Thomas J. Foley, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Jonathan W. Blodgett, Essex County District Attorney; and United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, announced that Anthony ZANUCCOLI, age 45, of 32 Broadway Street in Beverly, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro to 20 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 6 years of supervised release. ZANUCCOLI had previously pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with distribution of heroin.

At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the Government's evidence would have proven that, on March 28, 2001, ZANUCCOLI sold heroin to Melanie Thompson of Peabody. Thompson collapsed shortly after using the heroin and died two days later at Salem Hospital. ZANUCCOLI was arrested the day after Thompson died after making another heroin sale to a cooperating witness working for the Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Massachusetts State Police. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office with the assistance of the Essex County District Attorney's Office

Press Contact: Anthony J. Pettigrew, (617) 557-2138