A Seymour man involved in a marijuana growing and distribution operation in the Valley has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Gary Eichensehr, 29, was sentenced at U.S. District Court in Hartford on Thursday for conspiracy to structure cash deposits from the drug operation. After spending two years in jail, he will have three years of supervised release.
Federal prosecutors say money from a drug operation led by Oxford resident Cheyne Mazza was deposited into bank accounts set up by Eighensehr and another Seymour man, Philip Negron at JP Morgan Chase Bank branches.
The deposits were made in less than $10,000 batches — the number that triggers a report be sent to the IRS. Continually depositing or splitting cash transactions to avoid the $10,000 threshold is called structuring, and is illegal.
In all, $103,520 was deposited into Eichensehr’s accounts, according to a press release from the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Mazza has pleaded guilty last week to his role in the operation, in which he operated marijuana grow houses in Ansonia and Oxford from 2008 until 2010.
Mazza was joined by his sister, Sterling, former Ansonia Alderman Joseph Cassetti and Ansonia resident James Caravan.
Eichensehr and Negron were each involved on the banking side of the operation. Negron also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to structure cash deposits and awaits sentencing.
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation of the drug growing business — including agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, Ansonia Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety in New York.
Mazza will be sentenced in Aug. 5 and faces up to 10 years in prison for a single count of conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants.
