ANSONIA — A 31-year-old city resident was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison Nov. 17 for trafficking fentanyl.

The defendant, Daqwon Graham, will be on federal probation for five years after his release. Graham had pleaded guilty in July.

Graham also has several state-level criminal cases pending in Superior Court. He is due back Dec. 9 on those charges.

The following chronology is based on previous Valley Indy reporting.

According to a federal affidavit signed by a DEA agent, a witness saw Graham deliver cocaine to a man on March 8, 2023. The man was found dead the next day of a drug overdose at a Branford motel. State prosecutors declined to pursue a manslaughter charge against Graham, the affidavit says.

About three weeks later, Ansonia police raided Graham’s residence on Howard Avenue. Police said they found 448 grams of cocaine, 186 grams of crack, and 10 grams of fentanyl in his home, along with $100,000 in cash.

State prosecutors charged Graham with possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics within 200 feet of a school, and possession of narcotics with intent to sell within 200 feet of a school (Ansonia Middle School). That state case is ongoing.

Then, on Oct. 1, 2024, a woman was found dead from a drug overdose in a Shelton hotel. She was in a room rented under Graham’s name, according to court documents, and police said she was a prostitute.

State prosecutors charged Graham with promoting prostitution in December 2024. That state case is also ongoing.

Federal Charges

Federal investigators then allegedly made a series of eight fentanyl purchases from Graham during January and February 2025. Those sales happened in Trumbull, Wilton, Shelton, and Norwalk.

Graham allegedly agreed to sell 400 grams of fentanyl for about $15,000, court documents said.

DEA agents then obtained search warrants for Graham’s home, vehicle, and phone.

Investigators searched Graham’s Howard Avenue residence, where they allegedly confiscated more than $8,000 in cash. Graham was arrested by federal authorities Feb. 26, and he has been in custody since then.

Authorities said Graham was unemployed but owned Energy Exoticz LLC, a business that rents out high-end cars. A website for that business went blank after his federal arrest.

In a sentencing memo, prosecutors pointed out Graham sold fentanyl laced with xylazine, a powerful sedative that limits the effectiveness of Narcan, a drug that helps overdose victims.

The prosecution also noted Graham’s prolific history selling drugs, and his prior arrest for violent crimes.

They noted he is also a suspected sex trafficker, with state cases pending.

“Protection of the public is paramount and will only occur once Mr. Graham truly understands that he cannot engage in drug trafficking,” the prosecutor said.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark. U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver presided in Hartford.