Timothy Paprocki Guilty in Heroin Overdose Death

A deadly heroin deal sealed in texts and closed with a fatal transaction has ended in a federal guilty plea. Timothy Paprocki, 33, of Ledyard, admitted in Hartford federal court today to distributing the batch of heroin that killed a 25-year-old man in Groton on April 12, 2016. The plea, entered before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea, marks a grim milestone in Connecticut’s crackdown on drug dealers whose product ends in death.

The victim was found unresponsive after using heroin and rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigators quickly zeroed in on Paprocki after tracing phone records and messages showing the victim arranged to buy heroin directly from him. Paprocki didn’t produce the drug—he bought it from Rudy Hernandez of New London, then resold it. That chain of distribution, law enforcement says, is what turned a drug deal into a death sentence.

Cellphone evidence and witness statements laid bare the mechanics of the fatal transaction. Paprocki coordinated the sale, facilitated the handoff, and profited from a product he knew carried lethal risk. He was arrested April 20, 2016, and has remained in custody ever since. His guilty plea to one count of distribution of heroin carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 15, 2017.

Hernandez, the supplier Paprocki bought from, already faced justice. On July 6, 2016, the 31-year-old New London man pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of heroin. On November 21, he was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison. While Hernandez pulled a shorter sentence, prosecutors emphasize that every link in the drug chain—from supplier to street-level dealer—will be held accountable under the law.

The investigation was led by the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Groton Town Police Department. The multi-agency unit, which includes officers from New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe, Fairfield, Manchester, and the Connecticut State Police, was created to dismantle high-risk narcotics networks across the state. This case reflects its mandate: follow the drugs, follow the money, follow the death.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito is prosecuting the case. Paprocki’s conviction underscores a broader federal push under U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly’s office to treat fatal overdoses not as isolated tragedies, but as criminal acts tied directly to those who traffic in poison. With fentanyl and heroin flooding Connecticut streets, dealers who sell death may now face it behind bars.