HARTFORD, CT – Robert Amatruda, a 41-year-old Waterbury man known on the streets as “Bubba” and “Spanky,” will spend the next two years in federal prison after being sentenced today for his role in a significant cocaine trafficking ring. U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the 24-month sentence, followed by four years of supervised release.
The case, spearheaded by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, peeled back layers of a widespread drug operation that flooded the city and surrounding areas with poison. Investigators utilized court-authorized wiretaps, relentless physical surveillance, carefully orchestrated controlled buys, and aggressive motor vehicle stops – all culminating in the seizure of massive quantities of narcotics and over $107,000 in dirty money.
Court documents reveal that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” was the central figure, moving kilogram quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey wasn’t shy about leveraging his resources, using both his workplace and his girlfriend’s business on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury as hubs for his illegal trade. Amatruda was repeatedly caught on wiretaps coordinating transactions with Duprey, both purchasing cocaine for distribution and, at times, supplying Duprey himself.
The net tightened on May 25, 2022, when Amatruda, Duprey, and a total of 12 other individuals were arrested. Searches of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and the Middlebury stash location turned up a horrifying haul: approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, 2 kilograms of fentanyl, and the aforementioned $107,000 in cash. This wasn’t a small-time operation; it was a full-scale assault on the community.
Amatruda pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Duprey, facing even more severe charges and a prior federal narcotics conviction hanging over his head, received a staggering 141-month sentence on March 26, 2024. This case underscores the devastating impact of drug trafficking on Connecticut communities and the relentless efforts of law enforcement to dismantle these criminal enterprises.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan praised the collaborative effort, acknowledging the support of numerous agencies including DEA offices in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut State Police, and various local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile prosecuted the case through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. More information on OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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