Nine people have been charged in a federal cocaine-trafficking case involving several southeastern Connecticut communities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut announced Thursday. Prosecutors said a New Haven grand jury returned a superseding indictment on October 27.
The defendants include Michael Smith, 53, of Lisbon; Anthony Gomez, 46, Deonna White, 48, and Sarah Butler, 43, of Norwich; Rocky Laurent, 48, Cordelia Harris, 49, and Keith Nival, 46, of New London; Heather Roy, 44, of Canterbury; and Robert Duran, 46, of Mount Vernon, New York. Each is charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine and possess it with intent to distribute, according to the October 29 release.
Prosecutors allege that Smith supplied cocaine and crack cocaine to other sellers in the region. They said the investigation used court-authorized wiretaps, surveillance, vehicle tracking and controlled drug purchases. Those descriptions are the government’s allegations, not findings of guilt.
The release describes an October 8 operation in a Clinton parking lot where investigators say they recovered roughly 10 kilograms of cocaine and more than $170,000 in cash. Smith, White and Duran were arrested there, prosecutors said. Butler was arrested the same day after investigators searched her residence in Norwich’s Taftville section.
According to prosecutors, Gomez, Roy, Harris and Nival were arrested October 15, while Laurent had been in state custody since September 23. The release says Smith, Gomez, Duran and Nival have remained detained since their arrests. It does not give the current release conditions of the other defendants.
Along with the conspiracy charge, the indictment charges Gomez with three crack-cocaine distribution counts, Smith and Duran with possessing at least five kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute, and Smith with unlawful ammunition possession by a felon, prosecutors said. The government also seeks forfeiture of $196,353 and five vehicles.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating, with assistance from Connecticut State Police. An indictment is an accusation: all nine defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The release does not announce a trial date or a case outcome.
This AI-prepared report is based on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s October 29 public release. Eastern CT News has not independently reviewed the indictment or underlying evidence.