Hartford, Conn. (WTIC) - A New London man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
33-year old Michael Luciano has been detained since November 14, 2017. He was arrested after an investigation revealed that he regularly obtained large quantities of heroin from sources in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and distributed the drug through a network of street-level dealers in southeastern Connecticut.
In December of 2017, a grand jury in Hartford returned a 25-count superseding indictment charging Luciano and 20 other individuals with various heroin trafficking offenses. He later pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Luciano's criminal history includes a federal conviction in Rhode Island for possession with intent to distribute heroin - he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for that offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tuesday's sentencing stemmed from an investigation that began after several heroin overdoses in southeastern Connecticut. That included two overdose deaths involving heroin and fentanyl mix in January 2016. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics.
This investigation helped reveal Luciano as a distributor and trafficker. This matter is being investigated by several agencies and departments, including the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, IRS - Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East and the New London, Norwich, Waterford and Attleboro/Freetown (Mass.) Police Departments.