United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

GREENWICH WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG POSSESSION PURSUANT TO FEDERAL DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION INITIATIVE

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARY L. HOBBY, age 39, of 5 Mannetti Lane, Greenwich, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today to attempted possession of "crack" cocaine. HOBBY's plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in federal court in Bridgeport. Today's plea was the result of a federal initiative to reduce demand for drugs.

U.S. Attorney O'Connor explained that MARY L. HOBBY was arrested on January 16, 2004, when she attempted to purchase "crack" cocaine from an officer of the Stamford Police Department acting in an undercover capacity. HOBBY was initially taken into custody by state authorities. On January 23, 2004, she was charged by criminal complaint with attempted possession of "crack" cocaine and brought into federal custody. On that same date, she appeared before Magistrate Judge Fitzsimmons and was ordered detained pending trial.

Today, HOBBY again appeared before Judge Fitzsimmons; this time for purposes of entering a plea of guilty to the charge of attempted possession of "crack" cocaine. As a result of her guilty plea, HOBBY faces up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release to follow any period of imprisonment imposed, a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 and a maximum fine of $100,000, the costs of investigation and prosecution, and a mandatory $25.00 special assessment when she is sentenced on April 19, 2004.

U.S. Attorney O'Connor noted that pursuant to a plea agreement between the parties, HOBBY agreed that in addition to any fine imposed by the Court at the time of sentencing, she would pay $500 as costs of the investigation and prosecution and agreed that she would donate the $200 she was going to use to buy the crack cocaine to the Stamford Police Athletic League.

"For years, the federal government has been investigating and prosecuting narcotics cases that result in the incarceration of drug dealers for lengthy terms of incarceration – often 20 years or more," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "Little has been done to address and deter those who create the market for those drug dealers. Among other things, as evidenced by this prosecution, federal law provides for real penalties, fines and forfeitures for those who buy and possess drugs. The goal of this demand reduction initiative is to deter those inclined to buy illegal drugs. It simply is not worth the potential cost."

Stamford Chief of Police Lou DiCarlo added "This prosecution and today's guilty plea should serve as a warning to people who come into our City from the suburbs for the purpose of buying drugs. Don't create the market and bring all the attendant ills of drug trafficking into our City."

The case was investigated by the Stamford Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James I. Glasser.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov