Connecticut Trio Admits to $6M Marijuana Ring

STRATFORD, CT – A brazen, multi-million dollar marijuana trafficking operation stretching from the California coast to Connecticut has crumbled with guilty pleas from three key players. SCOTT BODNAR, also known as “Pep,” 40, of Ansonia, TERRELL GIVENS, 34, of Beacon Falls, and DONALD BURNS, 61, of Milford, all admitted to federal offenses tied to the large-scale conspiracy, U.S. Attorney John H. Durham announced today. The ring moved nearly two tons of marijuana and laundered approximately $6 million over two years.

The scheme began to unravel in 2016 when the Federal Aviation Administration flagged unusual flight patterns of a Piper single-engine aircraft owned by BURNS. The plane made repeated trips between Stratford, Connecticut, and northern California, routing through the southwestern United States. On June 28, 2017, BURNS piloted the aircraft from California to Lubbock, Texas. The following day, the plane hopped through Arkansas and West Virginia before touching down at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford, Connecticut, that evening. A subsequent search revealed a staggering 400 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana stashed inside.

Federal investigators quickly connected the shipment to BODNAR and GIVENS, establishing they were the intended recipients and organizers of the distribution network within Connecticut. The operation wasn’t just about moving product; it was a sophisticated financial undertaking. The trio allegedly used the illicit profits to fund further purchases in California, cover travel expenses, and pay BURNS for his crucial role in transporting the drugs. The scale of the operation points to a well-oiled machine driven by greed.

BODNAR and GIVENS both pleaded guilty on May 2 and 3, 2019, respectively, to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. BURNS followed suit today, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. Each now faces a potential life sentence, a grim reminder that even sophisticated drug rings can’t escape federal prosecution.

As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants have agreed to forfeit assets acquired through their criminal enterprise. This includes BURNS’ Piper aircraft – the very tool used to smuggle the drugs – a 2012 Toyota Camry belonging to BODNAR, and a 2009 Jaguar XF and approximately $8,000 in jewelry seized from GIVENS. These forfeitures represent a significant blow to the organization’s infrastructure and a small return to taxpayers for the cost of investigating and prosecuting this case.

The investigation was a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and local police departments in Stratford, Bridgeport, and Derby. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Marc Silverman are prosecuting the case, signaling a continued federal commitment to dismantling large-scale drug trafficking operations and holding those responsible accountable.