BUFFALO, N.Y. - Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Rohan Chopra, 22, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, MDMA, also known as “Molly," before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant conspired with co-defendants Connor Dempsey and Joel Jacob. All three defendants agreed that Chopra would store various controlled substances at 365 Campus Drive in Buffalo, an apartment rented by Dempsey and Jacob. Chopra was also allowed to sell drugs out of the apartment. Dempsey and Jacob gave Chopra keys to the apartment so that he could access and distribute the drugs stored in the apartment. Chopra also ordered controlled substances from the Internet and had them delivered to the apartment. Chopra instructed Dempsey and Jacob not to sign for packages and to deny that they were expecting a package to avoid liability.
On Aug. 17, 2016, Jacob signed for a parcel addressed to him during a controlled delivery by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The package, which Chopra ordered over the internet using bitcoins, was sent from Munchen, Germany and contained over 180 grams of MDMA. During a search of the apartment, officers recovered quantities of: marijuana; LSD; cocaine; THC; Xanax; and ketamine. They also found a digital scale, baggies, empty capsules, other drug paraphernalia, and another mail parcel addressed to Chopra. After Chopra learned about the search, he contacted Dempsey and Jacob and asked them to take responsibility for a quantity of the controlled substances found in the apartment.
Dempsey and Jacob have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Spero; and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski of the Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
