John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC BOONE, 48, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine. Judge Meyer also ordered BOONE to perform 100 hours of community service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, 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, New York, 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.
BOONE has been detained since his federal arrest on Aug. 26, 2016. On May 31, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Mott and Harvey also pleaded guilty. On September 5, 2017, Mott was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment and was 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 of imprisonment and was ordered to forfeit $4,800.
Two other individuals were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
