Groton police, task force members arrest man awaiting murder trial
Groton — Police on Thursday arrested two people on drug charges — including a wanted man facing felony murder and other charges in New Haven.
The arrest was made by Groton Town police detectives, with the assistance of the Regional Community Enhancement Task Force, who were conducting an investigation of narcotics trafficking at a local hotel.
Vernon Horn, 35, of 423 Shelton Ave., New Haven, and Ivaniette Marie Lopez of 83 Eddy St., New Haven, each were charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of cocaine, possession of more than ½ ounce of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Horn additionally was charged with criminal impersonation.
Horn, as it turns out, was wanted for a failure to appear in court out of New Haven, where his murder case is pending trial, according to Groton Town Police Detective Lt. John Varone.
But police said Horn on Thursday identified himself as another person and produced a state of Ohio identification card with a false name.
Varone said detectives and task force members became suspicious when they found medication in Horn’s name.
Horn continued to deny his true identity but police positively identified him by his fingerprints. He was later transferred into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
Horn was convicted in 2000 of felony murder, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, first-degree robbery with a deadly weapon and carrying a pistol without a permit, among other charges.
He was sentenced to 70 years in prison on charges stemming from his alleged role in a 1999 robbery and fatal shooting.
In 2014 a judge at a habeas trial overturned the conviction because of poor representation at trial, according to a report by the New Haven Register.
Horn had posted a $400,000 bond pending a new trial.
Court records show a re-arrest warrant was issued on June 29 after Horn failed to appear in court. The court has set a $2 million bond.
For the local charges Horn is due to appear Aug. 11 in New London Superior Court.
Police said that while Horn was in a high-security area of the Groton Police Department headquarters, he flooded the cell’s toilet and caused damage to the cell and high-security area.
Police added a charge of third-degree criminal mischief as a result of that incident.
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.
