HARTFORD - The sentencing of former Newtown police sergeant Steven Santucci, 39, of Waterbury on two felony drug convictions has been delayed by four months, from March 3 to July 8, to allow Santucci to complete a technical training course to become an electrician, according to court documents.

Santucci pleaded guilty on December 9 in US District Court to one count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and to one count of conspiracy to launder money in connection with the drug activity.

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 was given a $1,000 fine.

It is expected that Santucci's sentence will be harsher than Chickos's. Santucci faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, but it expected he will receive some lesser sentence than that.

Both Santucci and Chickos were arrested in April 2015, after which they resigned their positions. After his arrest, Chickos was free on bail, as is Santucci.

In a court motion seeking to postpone his sentencing, attorney Dan LaBelle, representing Santucci, explained that Santucci is enrolled at Porter & Chester Institute, a technical training school, learning to be an electrician.

"Before his arrest…, Mr Santucci was a career police officer, but he had necessarily resigned from that profession, " Mr Labelle stated in the motion.

"Mr Santucci is diligently planning for a second career and it would be beneficial if he could complete his technical training so that he can begin the new career as soon as his legal problems are behind him," Mr LaBelle wrote. In the court papers, Mr LaBelle notes that Santucci may receive a prison sentence on his convictions.

The federal prosecutor did not object to the requested delay of sentencing, according to court documents.

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.