Southeastern Connecticut Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL LUCIANO, 33, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation that began after several heroin overdoses in southeastern Connecticut, including two overdose deaths involving a heroin and fentanyl mix that occurred in January 2016.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Luciano 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.

Luciano has been detained since his arrest on November 14, 2017.  On December 12, 2017, a grand jury in Hartford returned a 25-count superseding indictment charging Luciano and 20 other individuals with various heroin trafficking offenses.  On June 27, 2018, Luciano 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 the District of Rhode Island for possession with intent to distribute heroin.  In September 2010, he was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment for that offense. 

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East and the New London, Norwich, Waterford, Attleboro (Mass.) and Freetown (Mass.) Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.