Joseph Lastrina, a 39-year-old resident of Norwalk, Connecticut, received a nine-year prison sentence for his involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
Lastrina confessed to orchestrating drug deals through Robert Sanger and Thaddeus Price, resulting in transactions involving 177 grams of pure methamphetamine in November 2023. A subsequent search at Sanger's residence uncovered an additional 217 grams of the drug.
Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd imposed a three-year supervised release term on Lastrina along with a $30,000 fine. Previously, Judge Hurd sentenced Sanger to 16 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Price is scheduled for sentencing on March 19, 2025.
The DEA conducted the investigation into this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Reiner and Ashlyn Miranda.