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Paul Falcetti and Thomas Santopietro Jr. told a traveling companion they were mailing home laundry, not tens of thousands of dollars worth of marijuana, during a road trip to Texas in December.
They might have accomplished their illicit goal, authorities said, if a downstairs neighbor hadn't inadvertently opened a box intended for the 24-year-old Falcetti.
Under terms of a plea agreement accepted on Friday in Litchfield Superior Court, Falcetti admitted guilt to possessing marijuana with the intention of selling it.
He must serve a one-year prison term.
He was exposed to the possibility of a much longer term if he had taken his case to trial.
Torrington police charged Falcetti in early January after his downstairs neighbor at 47 Workman Ave. in Torrington opened the box and reported the surprising contents to police.
Inside was roughly 20 pounds of marijuana with a value approaching $30,000, police said.
Police learned a second package had been shipped to Santopietro's apartment, at 189 Berry St., also in Torrington.
After an investigation and backed by a warrant, police charged Santopietro, 32, with conspiracy to possess more than a kilo of marijuana and conspiracy to sell marijuana.
Falcetti said Santopietro furnished the contact to get the drugs in the first place, according to court documents.
A total of five boxes were mailed.
The drugs, police said, came from El Paso, a city in west Texas that borders Mexico.
Senior Assistant State's Attorney Devin Stilson said on Friday that three of the packages went to Florida.
The sheer volume of the marijuana shipped to him is what allowed prosecutors to allege that Falcetti intended to sell the drugs, Stilson said.
Police did not charge the traveling companion, who claimed he had no idea what Falcetti and Santopietro were up to. Falcetti and Santopietro told him they were mailing clothes to Torrington, police said.
Santopietro's case is scheduled to be heard later this month.
Source: Republican-American
Author: BRYAN SUNDIE
Copyright: 2007 Republican-American
Website: Republican-American
They might have accomplished their illicit goal, authorities said, if a downstairs neighbor hadn't inadvertently opened a box intended for the 24-year-old Falcetti.
Under terms of a plea agreement accepted on Friday in Litchfield Superior Court, Falcetti admitted guilt to possessing marijuana with the intention of selling it.
He must serve a one-year prison term.
He was exposed to the possibility of a much longer term if he had taken his case to trial.
Torrington police charged Falcetti in early January after his downstairs neighbor at 47 Workman Ave. in Torrington opened the box and reported the surprising contents to police.
Inside was roughly 20 pounds of marijuana with a value approaching $30,000, police said.
Police learned a second package had been shipped to Santopietro's apartment, at 189 Berry St., also in Torrington.
After an investigation and backed by a warrant, police charged Santopietro, 32, with conspiracy to possess more than a kilo of marijuana and conspiracy to sell marijuana.
Falcetti said Santopietro furnished the contact to get the drugs in the first place, according to court documents.
A total of five boxes were mailed.
The drugs, police said, came from El Paso, a city in west Texas that borders Mexico.
Senior Assistant State's Attorney Devin Stilson said on Friday that three of the packages went to Florida.
The sheer volume of the marijuana shipped to him is what allowed prosecutors to allege that Falcetti intended to sell the drugs, Stilson said.
Police did not charge the traveling companion, who claimed he had no idea what Falcetti and Santopietro were up to. Falcetti and Santopietro told him they were mailing clothes to Torrington, police said.
Santopietro's case is scheduled to be heard later this month.
Source: Republican-American
Author: BRYAN SUNDIE
Copyright: 2007 Republican-American
Website: Republican-American
