Man Who Supplied Crack to New Haven Drug Ring Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC BURRUSS, also known as “E,” 40, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department that targeted drug trafficking and related acts of violence by members, former members and associates of the “Island Brothers” street gang in New Haven.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, also revealed that the drug trafficking organization had established a base of operation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.  The investigation subsequently identified a second drug trafficking network that involved the large-scale distribution of heroin.

Burruss supplied crack cocaine of crack cocaine to one of the drug trafficking organizations.

On July 9, 2019, a grand jury in New Haven returned a 15-count indictment charging Burruss and 24 others with federal narcotics offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin.

Burruss has been detained since his arrest on July 10, 2019.  On September 25, 2019, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).

Burruss’ criminal history dates to 1996 and includes nine felony convictions, including five for drug-related offenses and one for a firearm offense.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Peter D. Markle and Elena L. Coronado.