Grand jury indicts former Newtown sergeant in drug case

Steven Santucci, a Newtown Police sargeant, has been charged with illegal distribution of steroid and prescription drugs. Steven Santucci, a Newtown Police sargeant, has been charged with illegal distribution of steroid and prescription drugs. Photo: Contributed Photo, The Newtown Bee Photo: Contributed Photo, The Newtown Bee Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Grand jury indicts former Newtown sergeant in drug case 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A federal grand jury has indicted former Newtown Police Sgt. Steven Santucci and seven other Connecticut men accused of distributing steroids and prescription drugs.

Authorities last week said the Waterbury resident received shipments of steroids and related materials from China since 2011 and had been manufacturing and distributing large quantities of steroids, oxycodone, Xanax and counterfeit Cialis.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Connecticut charged him and the others on April 29 and 30 following an investigation involving the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and other agencies. The probe included two months of wire-tapped cellphone conversations as well as surveillance of several steroid sales, according to the arrest affidavits.

Seven of the men are scheduled to be arraigned at 11 a.m. Thursday in federal court in Hartford. Ansonia resident Alex Kenyhercz, who authorities have described as one of Santucci's key redistributors, is scheduled to be arraigned at 11 a.m. Friday.

Two other key redistributors were Mark Bertanza, of Shelton, and Newtown civilian dispatcher Jason Chickos, of Bridgeport, according to court records. The dispatcher has been on leave since his arrest while Santucci has resigned.

Between 2011 and 2014, Santucci, whose annual salary in Newtown was about $82,000, spent more than $300,000 on first-class trips to Europe, South America and Africa, including about $30,000 for an African safari, authorities said. He traveled to 23 states and spent about $26,000 on Celebrity Cruises and $112,000 for lodging, the affidavit said.

His attorney did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday.

All eight men were indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess anabolic steroids with intent to sell. The grand jury also indicted Santucci, Kenyhercz and Betanza on charges of possession of anabolic steroids with intent to distribute. Santucci was also charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

"In order to facilitate and promote the operation of the anabolic steroids trafficking business, Santucci and others used controlled substance sale proceeds to make Western Union payments to foreign sellers of ingredients to make liquid anabolic steroids, which Santucci then sold," the indictment said.

Judicial Marshal Jeffrey Gentile, of Ansonia; Frank Pecora, of Derby; Kenyhercz and Betanza were also charged with conspiring since 2008 to distribute and possess oxycodone with intent to distribute.

Pecora was also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of oxycodone, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Pecora, who was convicted for cocaine trafficking in Florida in 1986, had an R1A1 assault rifle that was shipped from a foreign country, according to the indictment.

noliveira@newstimes, 203-731-3411, @olivnelson