John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TIMOTHY ESTRIDGE, 37, of Wallingford, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, amphetamine.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Dec. 16, 2017, the Wallingford Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to a Wallingford residence after a 9-1-1 call reported the untimely death of a 38-year-old male. The caller who reported the death did not leave contact information and was not on scene when responders arrived. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, where investigators seized evidence of illicit drug use, including a small plastic baggy containing approximately eight suspected oxycodone pills, a glass dish with white powder residue, a broken credit card, pieces of wax folds commonly used as heroin packaging, a used plastic syringe, and prescription pill bottles.
One of the pill bottles recovered was an empty bottle, in Estridge’s name, for 30 10-milligram Adderall pills.
The State of Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s cause of death to be intoxication of a combination of heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, alprazolam, amphetamine, and ethanol.
The investigation revealed that, on Dec. 1, 2017, Estridge filled a prescription for Adderall, which contains amphetamine, and subsequently distributed the pills to the victim.
The investigation further revealed that, on multiple occasions between July and December 2017, Estridge possessed and distributed heroin and amphetamines.
Estridge is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on January 9, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Estridge is detained pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Wallingford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
