A Bridgeport, Connecticut drug trafficker has been sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for his role in a massive fentanyl and heroin trafficking operation in the area.
Jeffrey Thomas, 51, also known as ‘Zig,’ was sentenced to 125 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.
The investigation began in 2019, when the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force started investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in and around Bridgeport.
During the investigation, Task Force members made four controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Frank Best. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and hundreds of consensual recordings, revealed that Frank Best’s uncles, Wallace Best and Jeffrey Thomas, were supplying Frank Best and others with narcotics.
The investigation further revealed that Thomas worked with Jason Cox to establish a connection to Mexican-sourced drug suppliers in California who could provide kilogram quantities of narcotics for distribution on the East Coast.
On December 13, 2019, a cooperating source working in conjunction with Wallace Best, Thomas, and Cox, traveled to a Home Depot parking lot in San Diego and purchased from their suppliers 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl, cut with Xylazine, which is a veterinary sedative, and Tramadol, in exchange for $27,000.
This crime took place in San Diego, California, and involved a significant amount of fentanyl and heroin.
In January 2019, Thomas was released from prison after serving time for a prior federal narcotics trafficking offense. At the time of his release, he was required to report to a federal probation officer and comply with the terms of his supervised release.
However, Thomas failed to comply with the terms of his supervised release and was arrested on February 10, 2020. He was released on a $150,000 bond and was required to report to prison on July 23.
Other defendants, including Wallace Best and Jason Cox, have already been sentenced to prison for their roles in the fentanyl and heroin trafficking operation. Wallace Best was sentenced to 180 months in prison on May 13, 2024, and Cox was sentenced to 125 months in prison on April 24, 2024.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Lauren C. Clark, and Katherine E. Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Related Federal Cases
- Jeffrey Thomas, Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking, Connecticut 2019 · Connecticut
- Tyrick Thomas, Fentanyl Trafficking, Connecticut 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Jason Cox, Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking, Connecticut 2024 · Connecticut
- Wallace Best, Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking, Connecticut 2022 · Connecticut
- JOSE GONZALEZ, Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking, Connecticut 2017 · Connecticut
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking