News from February 2023
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
A man from Texas and a woman from St. Louis were indicted Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges after multiple kilograms of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in St. Louis County.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Daniel E. Russo pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution and possession of oxycodone, and nine counts of filing false personal and corporate tax returns. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Keechant Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that a grand jury in Manhattan federal court returned a Superseding Indictment charging Israel Garcia a/k/a “Shorty Rock,” the former leader of the Get Money Gunnaz set of the Young Gunnaz street gang (the “GMG YGz”) with murder in aid of racketeering and other charges in connection with the October 11, 2010, murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration-Indianapolis, and U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana announced that Jacqueline Anderson, 37, of Rushville, Indiana, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Alfred A. Cooke, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration-Merrillville, Indiana, and U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana announced that Benjamin J. Hicks III, 42, of Indianapolis, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Robert Perez, Jr., 33, of Perris, California pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in California and New Hampshire, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced that Gary Sewell, 41, previously of Enfield, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEAN CARLOS MERCADO, 34, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking organization that used the U.S. Mail to ship kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on February 9, 2023, Dennis Martin, 42, of Colchester, Vermont, was convicted for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, following a four-day jury trial before United States District Judge Christina Reiss.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
A Weymouth man has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed prodigious amounts of cocaine from Puerto Rico, which he and a co-conspirator obtained via the U.S. mail.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Cody Ahonen, 29, of Mt. Holly, Vermont was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to 48 months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to possessing cocaine and cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing firearms as a prohibited person.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Nearly nine kilograms of fentanyl seized, including approximately 48,000 fentanyl pills
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging ISSACHAMIL TORRES, also known as “Chamil,” 35, of Hartford; EFRAIN CHEVEREZ, 32, of Hartford; and ENRIQUE RODRIGUEZ RIVERA, 23, of East Hartford, with fentanyl trafficking offenses.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANGEL CORREA-ORTIZ, 38, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his involvement in a cocaine trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious package that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The package contained $102,450 in cash. The investigation revealed that Jose L. Gerena, of New Haven, was supervising the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in and around New Haven, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to individuals in Puerto Rico. During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted multiple parcels of cocaine and U.S. currency that was sent through the U.S. Mail. Correa-Ortiz helped identify addresses for the organization to use to receive parcels, moved parcels once they were received, and he accompanied other members of the organization during drug transactions. Most of the parcels containing cocaine were transported to a stash house on Exchange Street in New Haven that Gerena, Jose Rodriguez-Caraballo and others used as a hub to distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine. Rodriguez-Caraballo, also known as “Puma,” was arrested on March 18, 2021, after he traveled with another co-conspirator to a location in Milford to sell two kilograms of cocaine for $86,000. Investigators seized the cocaine and a loaded 9mm handgun from their vehicle. Correa-Ortiz, who had traveled to the same location in another vehicle, was not arrested at that time. Gerena was arrested on August 10, 2021, after investigators made a controlled delivery of a parcel containing a kilogram of cocaine to his New Haven residence. Correa-Ortiz was arrested on September 30, 2021. On August 26, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Correa-Ortiz, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 22. Gerena and Rodriguez-Caraballo also pleaded guilty. Gerena awaits sentencing. On November 2, 2022, Rodriguez-Caraballo was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Karen Peck through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
A 30-year-old Providence man today admitted to a federal judge that he possessed more than 250 grams of fentanyl and a firearm, and did so less than a week after pleading guilty, in February 2021, to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
A top source of supply in the Carrollton fentanyl overdoses case has been charged with a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri who participated in a 2017 murder on behalf of a drug gang to 18 years in prison.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division Daniel J. Kafafian and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger announced a former office manager of a New Jersey medical practice admitted conspiring with the doctor who owned the practice to distribute prescription amphetamine to patients without a legitimate medical reason, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
A Grapeland, Texas man, and his girlfriend, have been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
By Press release submission | Feb 20, 2023
Tramond G. Wallace, Jr., 28, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
