Norwalk firefighter arrested on numerous drug, weapon charges

NORWALK — A Norwalk firefighter has been suspended from the department following his arrest Thursday on numerous drug and weapons charges.

Firefighter Mark Monroe is facing a laundry list of charges after a months long investigation during which he allegedly sold drugs to an undercover officer at fire headquarters.

Officers with the Norwalk Police Department’s Special Services Division executed four arrest warrants and three search warrants on Monroe’s June Avenue home on Thursday. The 45-year-old firefighter was arrested without incident when he arrived to meet an undercover officer at an undisclosed location on Main Avenue in Norwalk, police said.

During that meeting, police said Monroe sold the undercover officer three packages of cocaine weighing approximately 3.8 grams each. Police said Monroe had sold cocaine to the undercover officer on four separate occasions, two of which occurred at the Volk Central Fire Station on Connecticut Avenue while Monroe was on duty. The other two transactions took place in parking lots on New Canaan Avenue and West Avenue.

Fire Chief Laurence Reilly said Monroe was placed on administrative leave as soon as the department was notified of his arrest.

“He will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation,” Reilly said, declining to comment on the alleged drug transactions at the firehouse.

Officers carried out a search warrant at Monroe’s home, where investigators said they recovered five additional bags of cocaine weighing a total of 12.3 grams. Police also seized five Alprazolam pills, 152 Cialis pills and 21 pills with no markings, none of which were stored in their proper containers.

Police said the drugs appeared to be illegally obtained, controlled prescription pills. Officers also recovered 11 vials of suspected steroids and 300 hypodermic needles. While searching his vehicle, officers found Alprazolam, Oxycodone and amphetamine, as well as another 3.8 gram bag of cocaine.

Officers also searched Monroe’s personal locker at the central firehouse, but nothing was found.

In addition to the drugs, officers said they found a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol located on top of a dresser. Monroe was charged with possession of narcotics and other drug and weapon-related charges, 24 counts in all. He was held on $150,000 bond, and is to appear in court Feb. 17.

Second arrest in a year

This was not Monroe’s first run-in with local law enforcement. In June, he was charged with evading responsibility and falsely reporting a stolen vehicle stemming from a May 21 incident.

At the time, Monroe reported his vehicle stolen. Using the OnStar tracking system, officers determined the vehicle had been involved in an accident on West Rocks Road.

Court records stated that a witness observed the truck enter the parking lot at iPark, 751 Danbury Road, at a high rate of speed, and circle the lot twice before leaving.

Upon recovering the vehicle, police said there were blood stains inside and a small baggie of a white powdery substance —later identified as cocaine — was found on the floor of the truck.

After police questioned him, Monroe reportedly admitted he had filed a false complaint. Charges in the case are still pending and Monroe is to appear in state Superior Court in Norwalk on Sept. 20 for those charges, according to court records.

Reilly said Monroe was suspended without pay for one week for “unbecoming conduct” following the incident, but the punishment was unrelated to the court proceedings.