David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL CABASSA, 48, of Torrington, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a narcotics trafficking offense and also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2007, Cabassa was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 240 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for trafficking crack cocaine. He was released from prison after receiving an executive grant of clemency on January 17, 2025. Connecticut State Police arrested Cabassa on December 27, 2025, after he was involved in a one-car motor vehicle accident while driving under the influence, and a search of his vehicle revealed distribution quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.
Cabassa pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which, based on his prior federal drug conviction, carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. He faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Cabassa has been detained since his federal arrest on May 21, 2026. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Connecticut — U.S. Department of Justice press release.