HARTFORD - After a former Newtown police sergeant is sentenced for convictions on two drug crimes, he may spend several years in federal prison, receive a sizable fine, and perform substantial probation after his prison term.

Steven Santucci, 39, of Waterbury had been scheduled to be sentenced in US District Court on March 3, but he requested and received a delay in sentencing to allow him to complete a technical training course on becoming an electrician. Santucci is now scheduled to be sentenced on July 8.

In a recent plea agreement with the Assistant US Attorney Rahul Kale, Santucci pleaded guilty to two drug-related felonies - conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids and also conspiracy to launder money.

The steroids charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years' imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. Conspiracy to launder money carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a $500,000 fine. Thus, the maximum possible penalty for those two convictions would be 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the defense and the prosecution are recommending to the judge that the sentence involve somewhere between 57 months and 71 months of prison time, a fine of some amount between $10,000 and $100,000, and probation following the prison sentence that would last for some period between two years and life.

In the plea agreement, Santucci acknowledges that the judge is not bound by the terms of the agreement and may hand down some other sentence, either stricter or more lenient. Also, Santucci agrees that he will not withdraw his guilty pleas to the two charges if the judge, in effect, imposes a sentence stricter than the one listed in the plea agreement.

The recommended sentence listed in the plea agreement is based on an elaborate guidelines formula used in calculating the penalties for convictions in federal criminal cases.

Also, under the terms of the plea agreement, Santucci, who is free on bail, agrees to forfeit three revolvers and two pistols, plus ammunition.

Santucci joined the Newtown Police Department in November 2000.

In terms of the money-laundering charge, Santucci states that he profited from the illegal sale of steroids and used more than $120,000 in steroid-sale proceeds to buy more steroid ingredients and glassware and other storage containers for the steroids which he subsequently manufactured and distributed.

Federal authorities have described Santucci as the "ringleader" of a 12-man anabolic steroids manufacturing and distribution network, which also involved Jason Chickos, 47, of Bridgeport, a former civilian dispatcher for Newtown emergency services.

Chickos pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge and in January was sentenced to two years of probation, community service, and received a $1,000 fine.

Both Santucci and Chickos were arrested in April 2015, after which they resigned their positions.

According to court documents and statements made in court, starting in 2009, Santucci and others were receiving shipments of steroid ingredients from China and manufacturing and distributing wholesale quantities of steroids. An investigation also revealed that certain members of the conspiracy were distributing prescription pills, including oxycodone, as well as cocaine.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized hundreds of vials of steroids, approximately 600 grams of raw testosterone powder, approximately 350 grams of powder cocaine, and several firearms.