A Hamden man directly linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose after selling counterfeit pills disguised as oxycodone has been sentenced to prison. Agustin Cirino, 30, of Hamden, was handed 12 months and one day behind bars by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence, delivered today, marks a grim chapter in Connecticut’s battle against deadly synthetic opioids infiltrating local drug markets.
Cirino also received a court order to complete 200 hours of community service—a rare add-on in federal drug cases—amid growing pressure on judges to hold dealers accountable for overdose deaths. The case stems from an ongoing statewide crackdown targeting narcotics traffickers whose product leads to death or serious injury. Prosecutors tied Cirino directly to the March 9, 2017, death of a 30-year-old man found unresponsive in a Hamden residence.
According to evidence presented in court, the victim contacted Cirino on March 7 and March 8 to arrange the purchase of oxycodone. He ingested pills he believed were prescription medication. Emergency responders found him dead hours later. At the scene, investigators recovered three suspected oxycodone tablets and the victim’s cellphone, which became a key piece of evidence linking the transaction to Cirino.
Testing by the DEA Northeast Laboratory confirmed the pills contained no oxycodone. Instead, they were laced with fentanyl, acetaminophen, and dipyrone—potent and unpredictable compounds that mimic legitimate pharmaceuticals. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as “acute fentanyl toxicity, clonazepam, duloxetine use,” underscoring the lethal cocktail ingested by the victim.
Arrested on May 9, 2017, Cirino initially evaded the full weight of accountability—but not for long. On November 16, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming, who prosecuted the case, emphasized that even non-lethal intent doesn’t absolve dealers when death follows their product.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Hamden Police Department. Authorities say cases like this reveal how easily counterfeit pills are flooding communities, sold as trusted painkillers while carrying a death sentence in tablet form. With fentanyl now the leading cause of overdose deaths nationwide, Cirino’s sentencing sends a message: selling poison disguised as medicine carries consequences.
Related Federal Cases
- Eros Diaz, 21, Gets 45 Months for Fentanyl, Heroin Sales · Connecticut
- Wallingford Man Copped to Fentanyl, Steroid Distro · Connecticut
- Erick Delgado Sentenced in Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Overdose Deaths · Washington
- Fairfield Doctor Paul Bellofiore Sentenced in Oxycodone Scheme · Florida
- Norwich Man Rodney T. Morgan Gets 51 Months for Oxycodone Ring · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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