Kareem Swinton, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Crack, Connecticut 2022

Kareem Swinton, 41, known as “K,” is headed to federal prison for a decade after being sentenced to 120 months for flooding southeastern Connecticut with crack and cocaine. The Maryland man, last residing in Owings Mills, was hit with an additional six years of supervised release following his prison term. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer handed down the sentence in New Haven, marking the end of a years-long investigation into a regional drug network.

Swinton’s conviction stems from a 2018 probe launched by the FBI and the Norwich Police Department, targeting a narcotics trafficking ring operating in the region. Evidence presented at trial revealed Swinton — a former Norwich resident — made repeated trips from Maryland and beyond to supply co-conspirators with kilos of cocaine and crack. Those associates, in turn, pushed the drugs through the streets of Norwich, fueling addiction and violence in the area.

On August 3, 2022, a jury found Swinton guilty on two counts: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack, and actual possession and distribution of the controlled substances. The case leaned heavily on court-authorized wiretaps and controlled buys, painting a clear picture of Swinton’s role as a key supplier in the operation. He’s been locked up without bond since his arrest on February 21, 2019.

This isn’t Swinton’s first brush with federal drug charges. In June 2008, the Texas Highway Patrol caught him hauling nearly two kilograms of cocaine and over two pounds of marijuana from Arizona to Connecticut. That earlier run ended with a 2009 conviction in Bridgeport federal court and a 100-month sentence. He served that time — and now, he’s back for more.

Ten other individuals tied to the same trafficking network have already been convicted, dismantling a significant portion of the operation. The investigation was a joint push by the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and local departments in Norwich, Groton, and Waterford. Crucial support came from the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Delaware State Police — a testament to the cross-state reach of the criminal enterprise.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Marc H. Silverman prosecuted the case under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, which targets high-level drug traffickers through coordinated federal, state, and local action. With Swinton behind bars for the next decade, authorities claim a major win in their ongoing battle against drug networks infiltrating small-city America.

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