Florida man pleads not guilty

Richard Sciacchetano, a Florida man with reported ties to organized crime and who allegedly provided large quantities of marijuana to a Danbury area drug ring has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport.

Sciacchetano is accused of being the primary supplier of marijuana to the drug ring, according to court documents.

From Newstimes.com:

The operation was run by Bethel resident Mark Mansa, 46, and it distributed at least 1,000 pounds of marijuana in the last year alone, according to a federal prosecutor handling the case.

Sciacchetano, an older man with curly gray hair who was using a wheelchair to enter the courtroom Thursday, has been detained by federal authorities since his arrest Feb. 28.

During his brief arraignment hearing Thursday, Sciacchetano pleaded not guilty to the single charge of conspiring to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

Sciacchetano, according to federal court documents, was the main supplier for Mansa and Brookfield resident Glenn Wagner, 48, who allegedly purchased between 20 to 30 pounds a month of marijuana and distributed the drug to "lower-level dealers."

Wagner, who is also facing weapons charges for a sawed-off shotgun police say they discovered during a search of his North Lake Shore Drive home in late February, has also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mansa is facing several charges for allegedly selling anabolic steroids, including conspiracy to distribute and several counts of possession that stemmed from controlled purchases with an undercover informant last spring, according to court documents.