Convicted Crack Cocaine Dealer Going to Jail, Again

A Norwalk man who spent time behind bars on a conviction of dealing crack cocaine is going back to prison — this time for distributing drugs while on probation and, according to court documents, having a stash of them at his house while out on bond.

Michael Underhill, 42, was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment Thursday for distributing narcotics and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior narcotics conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 1998, Underhill was sentenced in U.S. District Court in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine. He was released from federal prison in October 2007 and began serving his term of supervised release.

On Sept. 25, 2010, Bridgeport Police attempted to pull over Underhill’s vehicle, but he reportedly accelerated away from police and subsequently crashed his vehicle into the rear of a residence in Fairfield before fleeing on foot. Underhill was apprehended a short time later. 

Law enforcement officers recovered quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and ecstacy, all packaged for sale, from the scene of Underhill’s arrest, and a search of Underhill’s person revealed more than $4000 in cash, according to court documents.

In August 2012, while Underhill was released on bond awaiting disposition of the charges in this case, DEA agents executed a search warrant at his residence and reportedly found additional quantities of crack, cocaine and heroin.

On Jan. 3, 2013, Underhill pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
Senior U.S. District Judge Warren W. Eginton in Bridgeport sentenced Underhill to 60 months of imprisonment on the narcotics offense, and a consecutive 48 months of imprisonment for the supervised release violation.

This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney H. Gordon Hall.

The above report is based on a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.