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Press Release

Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office Celebrates Annual U.S. Attorney’s Awards

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut hosted its annual United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony this afternoon in New Haven.  The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized more than 160 individuals for their investigative efforts in 30 significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut.

The highlighted cases demonstrate the broad variety of work performed by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Connecticut, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense, SIGTARP, the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, and Connecticut Department of Banking.  More than 30 of the award recipients are members of local police departments from across Connecticut.

“Today, we proudly recognize our law enforcement partners for their exceptional work,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly.  “We are grateful for the courage and dedication they bring to the job.  It is our great honor to work with them and to celebrate their accomplishments as they devote their lives to ensuring the safety and security of our communities and all those who live in our state.”

Several unit awards and special awards were also presented during the ceremony.

The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to FBI Financial Analyst Elizabeth McCartney for her exceptional work on many significant financial fraud investigations.

The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Partnership was presented to a group of local and state law enforcement officers who are assigned to various federal task forces.  Award recipients include Captain Luis Sosa of the Connecticut Department of Correction, Detective Stanford Dowling of the Bridgeport Police Department, Detective Mark Solomon of the Greenwich Police Department, Detective Francis Bellizzi of the New Britain Police Department, Officers Michael Mastropetre and Jonathan Young of the New Haven Police Department, Officer Brian Laurie of the New London Police Department, and Officer Heather Bozentko, Detective William Brevard, Sergeant Christopher Broems and Sergeant Kevin Keenan of the Stamford Police Department.

The Civil Division Unit Award was presented to Debra Reale, who has been the Associate Area Counsel, Small Business, Self Employed Division for the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel for 26 years.

The National Security and Major Crimes Unit Award was presented to Peter Kenyon, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency, for his investigation and prosecution of numerous major environmental cases in Connecticut during the past 23 years.

The Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit Award was presented to FBI Special Agents William Aldenberg, Stacy Bowery, Matthew McPhillips and Jeffrey Waterman, whose investigative efforts led to the successful prosecution of eight individuals who engaged in a scheme to direct illegal contributions into the campaign of a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit Award was presented to the lead investigators in Operation Bloodline, which targeted narcotics trafficking and gang violence in New Haven, and resulted in more than 90 federal convictions.  The award recipients were DEA Special Agents Michael Cogan and Anastas Ndrenika, DEA Task Force Officers Tony Miranda and David Rivera of the New Haven Police Department, and DEA Task Force Officers Joshua Cameron and Dedric Jones, and Investigator Lance Helms, of the Hamden Police Department.

The United States Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut, and with representing the federal government in civil litigation in the District.  The District is composed of approximately 64 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 60 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov

Updated March 18, 2015