Southeastern Connecticut Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY WHYTE, also known as "Jak Mac," 50, of New London, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 195 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and firearm possession offenses.

This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of heroin, cocaine, and firearms.

According to the evidence introduced during the trial of Whyte and his co-defendant, Amy Sarcia, Whyte obtained heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from various sources in Connecticut, New York, and elsewhere. He then distributed the narcotics to co-conspirators in southeastern Connecticut who sold the drugs to customers and other street-level drug dealers. Sarcia, who both distributed and used cocaine, accepted narcotics proceeds from Whyte and provided Whyte with weekly paychecks from her business, Two Wives Pizza, and a federal W-2 tax form, in an attempt to disguise the narcotics proceeds as employment wages. Sarcia also accepted cash from Whyte for allowing him to use three apartments in a building she managed to store and dispense narcotics.

On February 21, 2019, Whyte, Sarcia, and several other co-conspirators were arrested. On that date, a search of Whyte's New London apartment and other apartments he used revealed more than a kilogram of cocaine; approximately 180 grams of heroin; approximately 100 grams of fentanyl and fentanyl pills; 10 firearms, several of which were stolen; and thousands of dollars in cash. Investigators seized additional narcotics, another firearm, and nearly $200,000 in cash from other members of the conspiracy.

Whyte has been detained since his arrest on February 21, 2019. On September 28, 2021, Whyte and Sarcia were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, various narcotics, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments ("money laundering"). Whyte was also found guilty of three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, various narcotics, and one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On October 24, 2023, Judge Bolden sentenced Sarcia to three years of probation and ordered her to pay a $7,500 fine.

Twenty-four others were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook, and UConn Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Angel M. Krull through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.