Todd Austin, a 64-year-old resident of Gloversville, New York, has pleaded guilty to charges related to drug conspiracy and distribution. He admitted to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of pure methamphetamine. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
According to his admission, between March and July 2023, Austin acquired methamphetamine from a supplier based in Albany and sold it from his home in Gloversville.
Austin is one among nine defendants charged in this investigation. Several co-defendants have already pleaded guilty and received sentences or are awaiting sentencing. Andrew Deleon received a 72-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison with an additional three-year supervised release term. Ahmad Burke will be sentenced on April 9, 2025; Keisha Duboise on March 19, 2025; Flor Arencibia on March 5, 2025; and Melissa Karwan on February 24, 2025.
Austin could face up to 20 years in prison with a post-imprisonment supervised release term ranging from at least three years up to life. His sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci.
The indictment's charges against two other defendants—Felix Arencibia and Christian Mur-Santana—are still pending as they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS with Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuting them.
These proceedings are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level drug traffickers through a collaborative multi-agency approach leveraging federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
