A Norwich man was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Hartford to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone pills while on supervised release for an earlier drug conviction.

Rodney T. Morgan, 48, has been detained since his arrest on Oct. 12, 2016. On Jan. 5, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. On that date, he also admitted that he violated the terms of his supervised release.

According to the government, on Nov. 23, 2010, U.S. District Judge Chatigny sentenced Morgan to 49 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone and crack cocaine.  Morgan was released from prison in July 2013 and began serving his six-year term of supervised release.

In October 2016, the Norwich Police Department received information that Morgan was receiving large shipments of prescription pills and kept a supply of the narcotics at a friend's residence in Stonington. On Oct. 12, 2016, detectives stopped Morgan's car after he drove away from the Stonington residence. A search of the car revealed more than 100 oxycodone pills. Detectives subsequently located more than 300 oxycodone pills inside the residence.

This is his third federal conviction, according to the government. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Anthony P. Kaplan.