Corrupt Cop Located For Lawsuit — In Jail

Vincent Raucci was in jail when he received notice of a lawsuit against him — by a man he once sent to prison when he was a cop.

The former New Haven detective, notorious for his side involvement in the drug trade and for using his role in the police to allegedly frame at least two men for murder, is now in New Mexico’s custody at the age of 68. He’s facing criminal charges for drug trafficking, receiving stolen property, and illegal gun possession. 

Some of those charges came from a sweep of Raucci’s trailer, which allegedly turned up a case of crystal meth and fentanyl as well as a digital scale and a stolen motorcycle.

Dixwell/Newhallville Alder Troy Streater — who spent 24 years in prison for murder until eventually receiving a pardon — is suing the city of New Haven as well as a handful of detectives involved in his case, whom he alleges set him up for a crime that he never committed.

The two detectives who took the lead on Streater’s case were Anthony Dilullo and Joe Greene, who were each responsible for several other recently overturned or undermined convictions.

According to Taubes, the extent of Raucci’s role in Streater’s conviction is still unknown, but his name appeared several times in police records related to the case. 

Raucci was found to have framed at least two men, Scott Lewis and Stefon Morant, for murder during his time as a New Haven detective — prompting an FBI investigation that unearthed evidence of his double life as a drug dealer and drug user while working as a cop. 

Raucci repeatedly denied these findings. He could not be reached in time for this story, and his lawyer declined to comment.

Raucci resigned from the New Haven police force in 1996 — remaining eligible for a pension — before he could be fired by the police commission for two unrelated internal affairs cases. (Raucci either denied the allegations or said they were ​“not proven” in a 1998 interview with the New Haven Advocate.)

In 1998, Raucci faced charges of over-billing the city for overtime work and assaulting his ex-wife, both of which he denied having done. He jumped bail and fled to New Mexico; spent a year with an acting troupe; and eventually confronted federal agents in a four-hour armed standoff (which ended peacefully). 

Though Raucci was extradited to New Haven, he was never convicted, and he eventually moved back to the southwest.

He never faced legal consequences for the FBI’s findings about his role abusing his power as a New Haven cop while participating in the drug trade.

While Raucci moved to New Mexico to start a new life, Scott Lewis, Stefon Morant, Troy Streater, and others he helped to convict spent decades in prison.

Now, Raucci is the one imprisoned — and court documents reveal more about that fresh start in New Mexico.

How He Landed Behind Bars

Raucci didn’t file a court appearance in response to Streater’s lawsuit — which meant that in order to move forward with the lawsuit, Streater’s attorney, Alex Taubes, had to track Raucci down via a court summons.

Taubes sent a sheriff to locate Raucci in New Mexico, where he had last been known to be living.

On April 15, according to a proof of service document, the sheriff found Raucci in custody at the Grant County Detention Center in New Mexico.

Raucci has faced nearly 30 court charges since 2000, ranging from domestic violence felonies to traffic violations.

Raucci is currently facing two counts of trafficking controlled substances (a second degree felony) and one count of receiving stolen property (a third degree felony).

Police allegedly found the crystal meth, fentanyl, and a stolen motorcycle inside or around a trailer belonging to Raucci in March 2023, according to a warrant, which says he went by the nickname of ​“Mad Dog.”

They had been searching Raucci’s property in connection with a woman’s disappearance. The warrant quotes two people stating that ​“horrible things happened at this guy’s property” and that ​“awful things were done to women” at that address. 

The warrant does not state that Raucci himself was suspected of being responsible for anything other than the trafficking and stolen property charges; he was found at the property with three other people.

Raucci’s imprisonment can be accounted for by a separate ongoing case. 

He did not show up to court in response to a 2020 citation for driving without a license and for using the license plate and registration number for another vehicle — prompting a judge to issue a court warrant for him on June 14, 2022.

That same day, according to a statement of probable cause written by police, a patrol officer encountered Raucci and informed him of the warrant out against him. Raucci, according to the officer’s statement, said ​“he shouldn’t have a warrant because he checked online.” 

Raucci revealed to the officer that he was carrying a gun. The officer grabbed it — finding a loaded Springfield .380 pistol — and Raucci admitted that he did not have a conceal carry license. He was arrested for ​“unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon,” a misdemeanor charge.

Court records show that Raucci failed to appear for court hearings related to this charge six times, leading Judge Cynthia Clark to require a $20,000 bond.

The former detective is still in custody, according to his lawyer, Gabor Zsoka, who otherwise declined to comment.