An Ansonia man who had a pound of marijuana, three ounces of cocaine, two loaded guns, and more than $2,000 in cash on him when pulled over by Seymour cops in February was sentenced to serve more than three years in prison Oct. 15.
John Uhlig, 34, had faced up to five years behind bars after taking a plea deal in the case, but Judge Burton Kaplan offered him an 18-month reduction in his sentence if he were able to come up with a $5,000 fine in the case.
In July, Uhlig pleaded guilty 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.
A plea deal in the case called for a 10-year prison sentence, to be suspended after Uhlig serves either 3.5 or five years, followed by three years of probation.
Background
Uhlig 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 another 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 in July 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 in the case.
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.
Sentencing
In court Oct. 15, Uhlig’s lawyer, Gary Mastronardi, told Judge Kaplan that Uhlig had the $5,000 fine.
The judge then handed down a 10-year prison sentence in the case to be suspended after Uhlig serves 3.5 years, with three years of probation.
While on probation Judge Kaplan ordered Uhlig not to possess any narcotics or weapons, and also ordered him to undergo substance abuse evaluation and/or treatment.
Uhlig declined to address Judge Kaplan during the sentencing.
Outside the courtroom Mastronardi said the plea deal was a good outcome considering the charges Uhlig had faced.
“We’re pleased with the outcome,” Mastronardi said. “Given the nature of the charges, it was a disposition that we’re very satisfied with.”
Uhlig’s wife and mother-in-law were also arrested on drug charges as a result of the February search of his house.
Judicial Branch records indicate both cases are pending, and that both women have applied for accelerated rehabilitation, which would result in the charges being dismissed if they complete a period of probation.
Uhlig is a lifelong Valley resident who attended Ansonia High School in the 1990s, when he was captain of the baseball and the basketball teams. He was also a local coach, his lawyer said in court after he was first arrested.
Uhlig was also a gambler, having played in the World Series of Poker in 2010 — winning $4,060 in a Seven-Card-Stud game, according to CardPlayer.com, an online poker magazine.
He made five appearance in the World Poker Finals. In 2007, he won first place in the finals, taking home $30,594 and a commemorative leather jacket, according to ThePokerForum.com.
Uhlig played in a tournament as recently as this month, when he was listed as the fifth-place winner in a No-Limit Hold’em tournament at Foxwoods casino in February 2012. He took home $5,000.
He was listed as a 10th place winner in a Mohegan Sun tournament on New Year’s Eve, — taking home $379.
A PokerPages.com profile for Uhlig lists his total winnings at $53,805.
