NORWICH MAN SENTENCED FOR USING BUSINESS TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE, CRACK

Norwich — A city man has been sent to federal prison for more than six years in connection with an operation that officials say was funneling cocaine and crack into the region.

Harold “Haas” Butler, 42, was sentenced Wednesday to 77 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing the drugs, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office.

His Feb. 25, 2019, arrest was a result of a drug trafficking investigation in Connecticut by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, city police and other agencies across the state. He and others were accused of distributing narcotics to drug dealers and users in the region. Butler also used his business, Hat Boyz in Norwich, to store and distribute the drugs, according to the release. The probe included court-authorized wire-tapping and controlled purchases of crack from Butler.

A grand jury on March 5 indicted Butler and 12 others on drug-trafficking charges.

On June 24, Butler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and 28 grams or more of crack. He has 19 previous convictions in a criminal history that spans more than 20 years.

Groton Town and Waterford police assisted with the investigation, along with the state police, the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, Baltimore city police and Delaware State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and S. Dave Vatti are prosecuting the case.