HARTFORD, CT – Robert Cabanban Jr., 27, of New London, is heading back to a cell, this time for 43 months, after U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant handed down the sentence today for dealing heroin. The sentence will run consecutively to the time Cabanban was *already* serving, a testament to his apparent inability to stay on the right side of the law, even behind bars.
The case, brought by U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly’s office, reveals a pattern of brazen criminality. Back in September 2012, Cabanban was caught selling heroin from his New London apartment on two separate occasions. A subsequent raid turned up approximately 12 grams of the drug, along with packaging materials and a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol. That landed him 48 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon – a sentence he hadn’t even completed when he started dealing *again*.
Apparently, a halfway house stay wasn’t enough to deter Cabanban. In June 2016, the Groton Town Police Department received intel that Cabanban was continuing to push heroin while on day passes from the Hartford facility. Investigators didn’t hesitate. On July 1, 2016, they arranged a controlled purchase: 500 bags of heroin. Cabanban, predictably, showed up at a Groton motel to complete the deal and was promptly arrested. He was supposed to be *rehabilitating*, not restocking the streets with poison.
The audacity is noteworthy. Cabanban was already well into his 48-month sentence when he began orchestrating drug deals from a *federal halfway house*. He pleaded guilty on January 31, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. This latest conviction adds another layer to a criminal history already marred by state felony convictions for possession with intent to sell narcotics and third-degree burglary. The man is a repeat offender, plain and simple.
The Groton Town Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) jointly investigated the case, demonstrating effective collaboration in taking down a persistent criminal. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah P. Karwan prosecuted the case, ensuring Cabanban faced justice for his actions. Three years of supervised release will follow his 43-month imprisonment – a period that will hopefully, but likely won’t, keep him from returning to his old habits.
This case serves as a stark reminder that even those serving time aren’t immune to continued criminal activity, and that authorities are increasingly vigilant in tracking down and prosecuting offenders who attempt to exploit loopholes in the system. The streets of New London are a little safer tonight, but the fight against the opioid crisis is far from over.
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Related Federal Cases
- New Haven Heroin & Crack Dealer Gets 2 Years · Connecticut
- East Hartford Heroin Dealer Gets 7 Years · New York
- Hartford Dealer Roman Pantojas Cops to Guns, Heroin · Connecticut
- Wethersfield Dealer Carrillo Pleads Guilty to heroin Distribution, link to death · Connecticut
- Brooklyn Narc Dealer Isaiah Hart Pleads Guilty to Greenwich Heroin Death · New York
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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