Middletown Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Selling Cocaine and Crack While on State Probation

 Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DERRICK STOKES, 29, of Middletown, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine and crack cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force made four controlled purchases totaling more than 100 grams of crack cocaine from Stokes.  Stokes was on state probation at the time of the sales.  After Stokes was incarcerated on a state felony drug conviction and probation violation in early September 2019, he instructed his associate, Rayshon Frazier, to take over his drug distribution activity.  Between September and November 2019, investigators made three controlled purchases of crack, totaling approximately 40 grams, from Frazier in Waterbury.

Subsequent analysis of Stokes’ cell phone records revealed that between January 2017 and September 2019, Stokes sold a total of nearly 600 grams of cocaine to two individuals.

Stokes has been detained since September 4, 2019.  On March 24, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).

On December 22, 2020, Frazier pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base.  On March 18, 2021, he was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Middletown Police Department.  The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda S. Oakes and Sarala V. Nagala.