New Fairfield Resident Sentenced To More Than Five Years In Federal Prison For Trafficking Marijuana

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS CALAMARAS, 30, of New Fairfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking marijuana.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a Drug Enforcement Administration and Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force investigation that revealed that CALAMARAS was a lead participant in a large-scale marijuana growing and trafficking organization that operated in the greater Danbury area and had ties to New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont.  Between June 2011 and June 2012, the drug trafficking organization conspired to manufacture, sell, and distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.

The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that CALAMARAS obtained large quantities of marijuana from other members of the conspiracy and then redistributed the drug in the New Fairfield and Danbury areas.  He also partnered with co-conspirators to establish grow-house operations and to cultivate hundreds of marijuana plants.

CALAMARAS has been detained since his arrest on June 13, 2012.  On that date, law enforcement officers executed a court-authorized search of CALAMARAS’s Macbean Drive residence and seized marijuana plants, approximately 18 pounds of processed marijuana, more than $378,000 in cash and a .223 caliber, semi-automatic rifle.

CALAMARAS was ordered to forfeit the seized cash and firearm.

On June 5, 2013, CALAMARAS pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

The investigation resulted in charges against 13 individuals and the seizure of processed marijuana, approximately 140 marijuana plants, more than $520,000 in cash, 10 firearms, vehicles and real property.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force Northwest Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy L. Dayton and David X. Sullivan.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov