North Carolina Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTONIO FREELAND, also known as “Frezzie,” 27, of Burlington, North Carolina, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 52 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug trafficking.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation headed by the DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department and Connecticut State Police into a drug trafficking organization led by Wilfredo Gutierrez, also known as “Bean” and “Big Pun,” and his brother, Bobby Gutierrez, also known as “B.O.” The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance.

On three occasions in 2016, FREELAND and Michael Lundy, of Raleigh, N.C., traveled from to Connecticut to acquire distribution quantities of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and marijuana, from Bobby Gutierrez. On May 3, 2016, FREELAND and Lundy drove to Connecticut with approximately $13,000 in cash to purchase drugs.

On May 4, 2016, FREELAND and Lundy met Gutierrez at B&B Deli at 988 State Street in Bridgeport, which was owned by the Gutierrez family and served as a hub for their drug dealing. After FREELAND and Lundy left B&B Deli, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Connecticut State Police attempted to stop FREELAND and Lundy’s vehicle on I-95 South in the vicinity of Exit 10. FREELAND failed to obey the order to stop and engaged police in a high-speed chase that reached speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour, weaving in and out of traffic and utilizing the center median and right shoulder. At one point, FREELAND’s car sideswiped a car in the left lane. FREELAND exited on Exit 2 and rammed the back of a minivan that was waiting at a stop sign at the bottom of the exit, injuring the occupant who was taken to the hospital. FREELAND and Lundy were then taken into custody. A search of the chase route revealed a bag containing approximately 370 grams of cocaine that had been thrown from the vehicle.

As part of this investigation, law enforcement officers executed several federal search warrants on May 26 and May 27, 2016. A search of Bobby Gutierrez’s Stamford residence revealed a quantity of cocaine, $25,916 in cash and other items used in the trafficking of narcotics; a search of Gutierrez’s girlfriend’s residence revealed $47,316 in cash, more than three kilograms of cocaine, and two firearms, and a search B & B Deli revealed two digital scales, two large ziplock bags containing what appeared to be cutting agents, and five cellphones.

FREELAND has been detained since his arrest. On October 13, 2016, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Nine individuals were charged as a result of the investigation. All pleaded guilty. On March 16, 2017, Wilfredo Gutierrez was sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment. Lundy and Bobby Gutierrez are detained while awaiting sentencing.

The DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force includes members from the Bridgeport, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk, Milford and Trumbull Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Kaplan and Heather Cherry.