Man Gets 17.5 Years in Heroin Distribution Case

A Connecticut man involved in major drug distribution rings in Vermont and Maine is going to prison for more than 17 years.

Prosecutors say that 34-year-old James Nastri of Deep River, Connecticut, was sentenced last week to 210 months in prison following his conviction on a federal drug conspiracy charge.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions said Nastri financed and managed a sophisticated, multi-state drug operation.

Prosecutors say Nastri was connected to a group that sold drugs in the Bangor, Maine, area. In 2012, two of Nastri's workers were murdered by rival drug dealers.

Court records show Nastri's group distributed an especially strong form of heroin in Burlington that caused several overdoses.

Nastri's attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.