Crime & Safety

Norwalk Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking

A 43 year-old Norwalk man was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, on Wednesday for his role in a southwestern Connecticut narcotics trafficking ring, according to a released sent by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The arrest and conviction of Marvin Wooten, also known as “Smash,” stems from "Operation There It Is," a six-month wiretap investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Stamford Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad. As a result of the investigation, 24 people have been charged in federal court with various narcotics offenses related to the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford. During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than $100,000 in cash, 500 grams of cocaine, 350 grams of crack cocaine, several vehicles and jewelry.  

Between September 2012 and January 2013, Wooten regularly purchased multi-hundred gram quantities of cocaine from various sources of supply, including individuals who were selling cocaine out of a Bridgeport barbershop, according to court documents and statements made in court. Wooten then converted the cocaine to crack cocaine and sold it to customers for a significant profit.  

Wooten has been detained since his arrest on January 14, 2013, according to the release.  On February 27, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine.  

His criminal history includes a manslaughter conviction related to his involvement in a 1993 homicide of a seven-year old girl who was caught in the crossfire between two groups of individuals in a drug turf war.  After being featured on “America’s Most Wanted” in 1995, Wooten was apprehended in Ohio, returned to Connecticut and convicted. He served approximately 11 years of imprisonment before being discharged from the Connecticut Department of Correction. In 2012, just months after his term of state probation concluded, Wooten was stopped at an airport in Phoenix, Ariz., while in possession of more than $48,000 in cash.


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