Two Members of New Haven Drug Ring Sentenced

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JEFFREY HARRISON, also known as “Biscuit,” 36, and CHRISTOPHER HILTON, also known as “C.J.,” 34, both of New Haven, have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert Chatigny in Hartford for their involvement in a New Haven cocaine trafficking organization.  HARRISON was sentenced yesterday to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and HILTON was sentenced today to 36 months of probation.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the fall of 2015, the DEA New Haven Task Force initiated an investigation into a cocaine trafficking organization headed by Halby Lopez and Omar Polanco.  The investigation revealed that Lopez and Polanco were obtaining bulk quantities of cocaine from multiple suppliers and redistributing the cocaine to a network of New Haven-area street-level dealers, including HARRISON and HILTON.  The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of drugs and the seizure of multiple kilograms of cocaine

On March 24, 2016, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 13-count indictment charging Lopez, Polanco, HARRISON, HILTON and six other individuals with various narcotics offenses.  All of the defendants pleaded guilty.  Lopez and Polanco await sentencing.

The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Caruso and Jennifer R. Laraia.