Alleged Drug Dealer Faces Five Years In Prison

What can a person get for $5,000?

For John Uhlig, 18 months off a prison sentence.

Uhlig — facing weapons and drug charges on several cases — took a plea deal at Superior Court in Derby Wednesday (July 25) that would send him to prison for five years.

But if he comes up with a $5,000 fine by the time of his Oct. 15 sentencing, his jail term will be cut to 3.5 years.

Uhlig, 33, of Ansonia, pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of possession with intent to sell and single counts of illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, criminal possession of a pistol, possession of narcotics, and tampering with evidence.

The plea deal calls for a 10-year prison sentence, to be suspended after Uhlig serves either 3.5 or five years, followed by three years of probation.

He was first arrested in February, when Seymour police said he was stopped for speeding and having a headlight out.

During the motor vehicle stop, police found 1 pound of marijuana and 3 ounces of cocaine, in addition to two loaded guns and $2,200 in cash.

Police from Seymour and Ansonia then searched Uhlig’s North Prospect Street Extension home and found 1.4 pounds of marijuana and 6.5 more ounces of cocaine.

Police pegged the street value of the drugs at nearly $20,000

Click here to read more about the February arrest.

Uhlig eventually posted a $125,000 in the February case, but he was arrested earlier this month on drug charges again.

In that case, a Seymour police officer was on patrol the night of July 6 when he saw a minivan driving erratically on Broad Street, according to a police report on file at Superior Court in Derby.

When the van drove onto the shoulder of the road while turning onto Derby Avenue, the report says, the officer stopped it and, while approaching the vehicle, immediately recognized” Uhlig from his mugshot.

The officer smelled marijuana and saw a marijuana cigarette on the floor of the car and also allegedly caught Uhlig trying to conceal cocaine capsules in his mouth, the report says.

Police weighed the substances and found that Uhlig had 0.3 gram of cocaine and 0.1 gram of marijuana, according to the report.

Uhlig’s lawyer, Gary Mastronardi, said Friday that the plea deal is a fair one.

We think it’s a fair disposition given the circumstances and I’m going to urge the court to impose the sentence,” he said.

Uhlig’s wife and mother-in-law were also arrested on drug charges as a result of the February search of his house. Those cases are still pending.

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