Connecticut
Connecticut pastor was dealing meth in exchange for watching sex, police say
A Connecticut pastor was arrested after police said he was selling methamphetamines from his house and at the church.
Connecticut State Police arrested Herbert Irving Miller, 63, on Feb. 9 after police noticed that he was operating his vehicle with a suspended registration and failed to maintain the insurance requirements.
During the police investigation, Miller was in possession of crystal methamphetamines in both rock form and liquefied into a hypodermic needle prepared for injection.
Texas pastor fired: After church describes ‘pattern of predatory manipulation’ with minor, men
Miller was then charged with operating an unregistered vehicle, operating a vehicle without the minimum insurance, use of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to sell or dispense narcotics and possession of a controlled substance, the police report said.
He was released on a $10,000 bond.
Miller was the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Shelton, 48 miles southwest of Hartford, before becoming the pastor of Woodbury United Methodist Church in July 2023, the Connecticut Post reports.
CT police receive a tip about the pastor
The Woodbury Police Department received a tip that Miller was allegedly dealing drugs from his house right next to the church, WFSB reported.
Miller’s neighbors saw a lot of traffic at the home and someone saw a meth pipe on the road near the church.
Police told WFSB that investigators believe Miller was providing the methand in exchange he wanted to see couples have sex.
Miller’s court date is on Feb. 23 at Waterbury Superior Court.
A woman was arrested and charged with murdering a man whose body was found behind a condominium complex in Farmington in March, police said on Friday.
Cynthia Martinez, 27, was charged with murder, unlawful discharge of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and criminal use of a firearm in connection with the death of 29-year-old Derick William Mercado-Labonte of Bridgeport.
On March 19, officers responded to Talcott Forest Road around 10 a.m. for the report of an untimely death.
They found the body of Mercado-Labonte along the wood line behind a condominium complex. He appeared to have sustained multiple areas of trauma, according to police.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Mercado-Labonte’s death a homicide.
Martinez is being held on a $3,000,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Torrington Superior Court on Friday.
Police said no further information will be released at this time, as this remains an active and ongoing investigation.
New data is shedding light on the state of Connecticut’s economy and labor force.
On this episode of the CBIA BizCast, CBIA Foundation director Dustin Nord joins host Amanda Marlow to talk about new Connecticut Department of Labor data that highlights the mismatch between increased job openings and a shrinking labor force.
Connecticut job openings jumped 2.6% in May to 87,356—however, since May 2025, 37,700 people have left Connecticut’s labor force.
Nord breaks down some of the reasons for this mismatch and what needs to be done to address Connecticut’s economic challenges.
He also shares insights into a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report showing Connecticut’s economy expanded 1.8% in the first quarter of 2026.
Episode Highlights:
- Job Openings vs. Workforce Shortage
- Unemployment Trends
- GDP Growth Amid Labor Challenges
- Affordability and Long-Term Competitiveness
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