HARTFORD, CT – Calvin Vaughn, a 35-year-old New Britain resident known on the streets as “Squeaks,” will spend the next 34 months behind bars following a sentencing handed down yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant. Vaughn received the sentence for his role in a central Connecticut cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking operation, and for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
The case, spearheaded by the DEA New Haven Task Force, revealed a surprisingly sophisticated network operated from within the Cheshire Correctional Institution. Westley Northrup, alias “Piff,” allegedly ran the drug ring while already serving time. He enlisted the help of Carlos Roman, known as “Frizz,” of Middletown, to procure cocaine, convert a portion to crack, and distribute both through a network of street-level dealers – including Vaughn. Investigators utilized court-authorized wiretaps, controlled buys, and seizures to dismantle the operation.
On July 26, 2017, authorities swooped in, executing multiple search warrants that yielded a staggering haul: approximately seven kilograms of cocaine, several pounds of marijuana, four firearms, and nearly $100,000 in cash. Critically, one of those firearms was discovered hidden in the bathroom of Vaughn’s New Britain residence, directly linking him to the illegal weapons component of the conspiracy. Vaughn, already carrying a rap sheet for prior narcotics and weapons convictions, was immediately taken into custody.
Vaughn ultimately pleaded guilty on June 20, 2018, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. The plea secured a 34-month prison sentence, followed by five years of supervised release. While Vaughn has been detained since his arrest, his co-conspirators are facing their own reckoning. Roman received a hefty 120-month sentence on April 12, 2018, while Northrup and Rivera are still awaiting sentencing.
The investigation, a collaborative effort, involved the DEA New Haven Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the police departments of Middletown and New Britain. The Task Force is a multi-agency operation drawing resources from the U.S. Marshals Service, the IRS – Criminal Investigation Division, and several other Connecticut police departments including New Haven, Hamden, and West Haven.
Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall is prosecuting the case. This bust serves as a stark reminder that criminal activity doesn’t respect prison walls and that federal agencies are actively working to dismantle these operations, no matter where they originate. The streets of New Britain, and the state of Connecticut as a whole, are a little safer with “Squeaks” Vaughn locked up.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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