Robert Amatruda, known as “Bubba” and “Spanky,” has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for cocaine trafficking. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford, Connecticut. Following his imprisonment, Amatruda will serve four years of supervised release.
The case is part of a larger investigation led by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department into drug trafficking activities in Waterbury. The investigation utilized wiretaps, physical surveillance, controlled narcotics purchases, and motor vehicle stops to gather evidence against those involved.
The investigation revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” was a significant figure in trafficking cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey allegedly used his workplace to supply drugs to other distributors and stored narcotics at his girlfriend’s business on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury.
Amatruda was frequently intercepted during wiretaps discussing drug transactions with Duprey. He both purchased cocaine from Duprey for distribution and supplied him with cocaine.
On May 25, 2022, Amatruda, Duprey, and twelve others were arrested. A search of Duprey’s properties uncovered approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms each of heroin and fentanyl, along with over $107,000 in cash.
Amatruda pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Meanwhile, Duprey pleaded guilty to related charges and received a sentence of 141 months on March 26, 2024.
The investigation was supported by multiple agencies including DEA offices in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey; the FBI; ATF; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; as well as several local police departments.
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan expressed gratitude towards the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile are prosecuting the case under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
