Oregon’s Massive Marijuana Shipments Fuel Connecticut Brothers’ Drug Empire Until Federal Crackdown Crushes It
Nearly four dozen hefty packages containing marijuana were sent from Oregon and neighboring California to drug traffickers in Connecticut.
Source: Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission 2024 sales-category shares as cited in Oregon cannabis market analysis (OLCC data)
Dailytidings.com
Petersen Brothers Arrested
This information has been disclosed by the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office following the arrest of brothers Erik and Kyle Petersen.
Erik Petersen (44) was sentenced yesterday to 43 months imprisonment and three years supervised release for trafficking in opioid pills.
Kyle Petersen has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
DEA Agents Became Suspicious of Large Quantities of Packages Delivered to Suspect’s Home
According to court records, in May 2023 DEA agents from the New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began investigating the suspicious large quantity of packages delivered to Kyle Petersen’s home in Newington.
At that time, Kyle Petersen was on supervised release following a federal conviction involving trafficking in fentanyl and prescription pills.
A search of his property revealed 400 grams of pills containing the synthetic opioid, Protonitazene which is more potent than fentanyl.
Investigators also discovered that Kyle Petersen had received about 34 similar packages mailed from Michigan, and about 46 packages from Oregon and California suspected to contain multiple pounds of marijuana.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut case summary and sentencing release on the Petersen brothers (2023-2025)
Dailytidings.com
Search of Home Uncovered Large Cache of Narcotics
The brothers were arrested on 3 April 2024 and a search of Kyle Petersen’s home revealed a substantial cache of narcotics.
| Item | Amount noted | Case detail |
|---|---|---|
| Counterfeit Adderall (meth) | More than 1 kilogram | Seized during home search |
| Counterfeit oxycodone (fentanyl) | Quantity not specified | Listed among seized narcotics |
| Counterfeit Xanax | Quantity not specified | Listed among seized narcotics |
| Protonitazene | Large quantity | Also tied to earlier 400 g pill discovery |
| Cocaine | About 40 grams | Seized during home search |
| Cash | $76,650 | Seized during home search |
These included more than a kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Xanax pills, a large quantity of Protonitazene, about 40 grams of cocaine, and $76,650 in cash.
On 19 December 2024, Erik Petersen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, Bromazolam, and Protonitazene.
The case is under investigation by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, assisted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the police Departments of New Britain and Newington.
The prosecutor in the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.