A federal court in Hartford handed down a stiff sentence today to Robert Amatruda, 41, of Waterbury—better known on the street as “Bubba” or “Spanky.” U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson sentenced him to 24 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine.

The sentencing, announced by U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan, stems from a comprehensive crackdown spearheaded by the DEA’s New Haven Task Force in partnership with the Waterbury Police Department. Investigators employed court-authorized wiretaps, surveillance operations, controlled narcotics purchases, and traffic stops, ultimately linking Amatruda—and his co‐conspirator Jose Duprey (aka “Red” or “Colorado”)—to the trafficking of kilogram‑scale quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.

The wiretap evidence revealed multiple communications where Amatruda coordinated narcotics transactions—both receiving cocaine from Duprey for resale and supplying him at times.

 The coordinated law enforcement effort culminated on May 25, 2022, with arrests of Amatruda, Duprey, and 12 others. Searches of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and a stash house in Middlebury uncovered:

• ≈ 10 kg of cocaine
• 2 kg each of heroin and fentanyl
• More than $107,000 in cash 

Amatruda later entered a guilty plea on July 31, 2023, admitting to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Duprey, meanwhile, was sentenced on March 26, 2024, to 141 months in prison for related offenses and violating supervised release.

This case underscores a wide-reaching interagency collaboration. Teams from the DEA (Connecticut, New York, New Jersey offices), FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut State Police, Department of Correction, Parole, and various municipal police departments (Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden, East Haven) contributed to dismantling the drug network.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan publicly commended the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state, and local partners, for their unwavering efforts in combating the trafficking that threatens communities across Connecticut.

Prosecution was handled through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile justice.gov+2justice.gov+2dea.gov+2.

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Why it matters to Waterbury:

• A local resident facing federal imprisonment—a stark reminder of the law’s reach.
• Robust local-federal cooperation signals law enforcement’s commitment to keeping streets safe.
• Assets—including over $107 k in cash and significant drug quantities—have been removed from circulation, disrupting the regional drug trade.