A New Haven federal grand jury on March 29 charged a Ledyard man originally arrested by Ledyard police with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and cocaine.

Damien Bryant, 41, pleaded not guilty to the federal charge and to violating the conditions of his supervised release before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford Tuesday.

If convicted, Bryant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the narcotics offense, as well as an additional up to 80 months for violating his supervised release.

According to allegations in a previously-filed criminal complaint, Bryant was arrested March 9 after Ledyard police and members of the Regional Community Enhancement Task Force conducted a state search and seizure warrant at his house. Information given to Stonington police led police to Bryant's house.

Police said they found and seized crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, narcotics paraphernalia and more than $14,000 in cash during the search.

Bryant — who was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court on March 5, 2010, to 42 months of imprisonment for distributing crack cocaine and violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction in the District of Rhode Island — currently is serving a 10-year term of federal supervised release.

Bryant remains in custody.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Regional Community Enhancement Task Force, and Ledyard, Stonington and Groton Town police are investigating the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Durham is prosecuting the case.