A federal judge Wednesday sentenced Abraham Rosado, 33, of New London to 60 months in prison and five years supervised release for participating in a drug trafficking scheme.

In the trafficking conspiracy, "cocaine was mailed through the U.S. Posal Service from Puerto Rico to southeastern Connecticut," according to a news release from Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. The investigation started in August 2020, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a "suspicious package that was destined for a location in Puerto Rico."

"A court-authorized search of the package revealed $158,900 in cash," the news release continues. "Investigators established a connection between Raul Robles, who is Rosado's cousin, and the seized package, and learned that Robles' and Rosado's residence on Blackhall Street in New London had received approximately 25 suspicious parcels from Puerto Rico since September 2019."

Investigators continued to keep track of USPS deliveries of parcels from Puerto Rico to Rosado's and Robles' residence, and later found more than a kilogram of cocaine in one of the packages.

Rosado was subsequently arrested on April 8, 2021. On Feb. 16 of this year he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Robles was sentenced to two years in prison in March for his role in the operation. His prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Robles previously had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, the New London Police Department and the Groton Town Police Department worked on the case.