Jelliffe Gets a Year for Deadly Heroin Deal

NEW HAVEN, CT – Alyssa Jelliffe, 23, of West Haven, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced yesterday for her role in supplying the heroin that killed a 39-year-old Milford man in January 2015. Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall handed down a 12-month and one-day sentence, followed by three years of supervised release.

According to federal prosecutors, the victim died from an apparent heroin overdose at his Milford home on January 12, 2015. A subsequent investigation, digging through the victim’s phone records, revealed that Jelliffe and her co-conspirator, Christopher Fogler, sold him $170 worth of heroin the night before. The deal proved fatal.

Law enforcement raided the residence shared by Jelliffe and Fogler on January 16, 2015, uncovering approximately 10 bags of heroin, along with the tools of the trade: a digital scale, razor blades, and cut straws used for preparing the drug. Both were arrested immediately.

Jelliffe has been held without bond since February 26, 2016, after her initial bond was revoked. She pleaded guilty on July 15, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin. Fogler also pleaded guilty to the same charge and received the same sentence – 12 months and one day – on July 19, 2016.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly emphasized the ongoing commitment of federal and local law enforcement to target those responsible for the deadly opioid crisis. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, DEA and police departments across Connecticut are working together to investigate and prosecute narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users,” she stated.

The investigation was a joint effort by the DEA’s Bridgeport Task Force and the Milford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alina P. Reynolds prosecuted the case. The sentence serves as a stark reminder that dealing deadly drugs carries severe consequences, even if it’s just one bag at a time. The streets of Connecticut are a little less dangerous, but the opioid epidemic rages on.