A Groton man has been sentenced to two years in prison for selling drugs to a victim who later died of an overdose in April 2017.

Ulpiano Lugo, 38, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2018, to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and/or cocaine. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, as part of a statewide initiative targeting those who distribute opioids that cause death or serious injury to those who use them.

About 7:37 p.m. April 22, 2017, police and emergency medical crews were called to a Groton City residence for a report of an unresponsive male in a bedroom. The 37-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, where police found a used syringe containing an unknown liquid, a bent spoon and plastic bag both containing residue and the victim's cellphone.

The residue was analyzed and found to contain both heroin and cocaine, court documents said. The victim's cellphone showed messages from the victim ordering narcotics from Lugo in the days before the victim's death.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Groton City Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.