Julio Perez, 65, of Rochester, New York, was sentenced on Mar. 26 to serve 144 months in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, according to U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
Perez's conviction follows a June 2024 search of his residence that resulted in the seizure of about an ounce of fentanyl and nearly $10,000 in cash. The search warrant was part of a broader narcotics trafficking investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office. Additional warrants were executed at several locations across Monroe and Ontario Counties.
At the time authorities searched his home, Perez was already on supervised release for previous federal narcotics trafficking convictions from 2018 and 2002. His latest conviction marks his third for narcotics trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. McGrath and Brandon N. Gonzalez said that Perez was found guilty by a federal jury in November 2025. Due to his repeated offenses, the court determined that Perez is a career offender and imposed an enhanced sentence as a result.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations under Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan; the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff David Cirencione; the New York State Police under Major Kevin Sucher; and the Rochester Police Department under Chief David Smith.
