News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2005

Bridgeport Woman Sentenced to 46 Months on Federal PCP Charge

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 VICTORIA ATHIAS, age 26, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was sentenced yesterday, October 4, by United States District Judge Janet B. Arterton in New Haven to 46 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 100 grams or more of phencyclidine, which is also known as PCP. ATHIAS pleaded guilty to the charge on July 6, 2005.

ATHIAS was arrested on February 24, 2005 as part of a federal investigation into a crack cocaine and PCP distribution ring in Fairfield County. Earlier this year, 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 ATHIAS and others alleging various violations of federal narcotics laws.

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, Bridgeport Police Department, Easton Police Department, Stratford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Stamford Police Department, and Greenwich Police Department.