Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Trafficking Narcotics Into Southeastern Connecticut

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found KAREEM SWINTON, also known as "K," 40, last residing in Owings Mills, Maryland, guilty of narcotics trafficking offenses.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, in 2018, the FBI, the Norwich Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a narcotics trafficking organization that was operating in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of crack, revealed that Swinton, who formerly resided in Norwich, trafficked narcotics into the Norwich area, where co-conspirators further distributed the drugs.

Swinton has been detained in federal custody since February 21, 2019.

Yesterday, the jury found Swinton guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine and cocaine base ("crack"), and one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. Ten other individuals were previously convicted of narcotics trafficking offenses stemming from this investigation.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer has scheduled sentencing for October 26, 2022, at which time Swinton faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.

The maximum penalties that Swinton faces are enhanced based on Swinton's criminal history, which includes a prior federal conviction for trafficking cocaine and crack. In June 2008, Swinton was arrested by the Texas Highway Patrol after he was found in possession of approximately two kilograms of cocaine and more than two pounds of marijuana that he was transporting from Arizona to Connecticut. In August 2009, he was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 100 months of imprisonment for that offense.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwich, Town of Groton, and Waterford Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Delaware State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Marc H. Silverman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.