Man Arrested On Charges Connected To Overdose Death In Shelton: Feds

SHELTON, CT — A 30-year-old Connecticut man was arrested in Stamford on Feb. 26 and charged with fentanyl trafficking offenses, according to a news release from Marc H. Silverman, acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, acting special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England.

Daqwon Graham, of Ansonia, was arrested on High Ridge Road on Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint that charges him with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum term of 40 years, and with use of a communications device to facilitate a drug trafficking felony, an offense that carries a maximum term of four years in prison.

Citing court documents and statements made in court, officials said the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Graham as a "large-scale fentanyl distributor in and around Fairfield County."

Investigators connected Graham's drug trafficking activities to an overdose death of a male victim in Branford in March 2023, and an overdose death of a female victim in Shelton in October 2024, officials said.

In January and February 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Graham, officials added.

Graham's arrest on Wednesday sparked false rumors that a shootout occurred with Stamford police; the SPD on Thursday dispelled those rumors.

Stamford Assistant Police Chief Richard Conklin told Patch that "tactical devices" were deployed in the apprehension of Graham, which could have been mistaken for gunfire.

At the time of his arrest, officials said Graham was in possession of approximately 400 grams of fentanyl.

Following his arrest, Graham appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.

Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.

The case is being investigated the Bridgeport DEA HIDTA. The task force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.

Written by Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff