NORWICH MAN GETS 18 MONTHS FOR TRAFFICKING COCAINE

A 48-year-old Norwich man was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine that was delivered to the area from a supplier in the Bronx.

Eric Boone, 48, of Norwich, has been incarcerated since his arrest on Aug. 26, 2016. He pleaded guilty in May 2017 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer imposed the sentence in federal court in New Haven, ordering Boone to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and to perform 100 hours of community service.

According to the government, an investigation by the FBI Northern Connecticut Safe Streets Task Force, Norwich Police Department, Waterford Police Department and Groton Town Police revealed that in the summer of 2016, Paul Mott, of Groton, conspired with others to obtain and distribute cocaine.

Mott regularly took orders for cocaine from individuals and then drove to his supplier in the Bronx, N.Y., to obtain the drug. When he returned to Connecticut, Mott provided the cocaine to others, including Marybeth Harvey, of Norwich, for further distribution. Some of Mott’s narcotics trafficking activity occurred at his restaurant, Caribbean American Kitchen to Go, located on Truman Street in New London.

The investigation revealed that Harvey supplied some of the cocaine she received from Mott to Boone, who then distributed it to others. On July 25, 2016, law enforcement stopped Boone’s car, after Boone left Harvey’s house, and seized approximately 49 grams of cocaine and 15 grams of crack cocaine that Boone had thrown from the car before he stopped.

Mott and Harvey have also pleaded guilty in the case. On Sept. 5, 2017, Mott was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to forfeit a 2013 Toyota 4Runner and approximately $3,494 that was seized from him at the time of his arrest. On Sept. 14, Harvey was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $4,800.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.

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