A New Haven man who fraudulently obtained COVID relief funds and then was caught with “distribution quantities” of heroin and crack has pleaded guilty and faces the possibility of more than 20 years in prison according to federal authorities.

Antrum Coston, 40, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to fraud, money laundering and drug offenses, according to federal authorities.

Authorities, citing court documents and statements made in court, said Coston in 2021 “applied for and subsequently received two PPP loans, totaling $41,666, purportedly in relation to a cleaning business he operated.

“In association with the loan applications, Coston made multiple false statements, including that his business was established in 2018 when, in fact, no cleaning business associated with Coston had been formed in 2018, and that the business had total gross income for 2019 of $114,658 when, in fact, the business had not earned such income, and Coston was incarcerated for all of 2019.” federal authorities said in a statement.

Authorities noted Coston’s criminal history includes previous convictions, including two on the federal level. He was on on supervised release from federal prison when he committed the “PPP loan fraud, money laundering and drug possession offenses.”

Coston was stopped while he was driving in West Haven in 2021, then drove off, nearly striking an officer as he fled, authorities said. He was found hiding in a nearby parking lot and a search of him and the vehicle turned up “distribution quantities of heroin/fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine, and more than $2,000 in cash,” authorities said. A ballistic vest, $2,790 in cash, a small quantity of crack, and narcotics paraphernalia also were found in his home, authorities said.

Coston sought forgiveness of both PPP loans in 2022, falsely asserting the funds had been spent on payroll, the statement said.

Coston pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 15, 2023, authorities said.

Coston is free from custody pending sentencing.