ALBANY, N.Y. ( NEWS10) The New York Attorney General's Office has announced the indictment of 54 members of a drug trafficking ring. Morris is being charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker, which carries a mandatory life sentence in state prison. The case is being prosecuted by OAG OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General Andrew McElwee, under the supervision ofOCTF Upstate Deputy Bureau Chief Maria Moran. The ring then distributed it to. However, the "Google Translate" option may assist you in reading it in other languages. Contact him at rgavin@timesunion.com. or redistributed. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Two arrested on drug charges at Queensbury motel, Three arrested on drug possession charges after traffic stop, Glens Falls shooting leaves one in critical condition, Warren County Sheriff's Office seeks help identifying suspect in larceny at liquor store, Police: Glens Falls shooting stemmed from earlier argument, Alaskas Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start. Hilts a 26-year-old from Albany has been charged with 10 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, in varying degrees. A seventh person was already in custody and will be arraigned at a later date. ALBANY The owner of a Schenectady construction business and his son were charged in U.S. District Court on Thursday with conspiring to traffic an estimated $600,000 of cocaine in a Mafia-connected drug pipeline between the New York City area and the Electric City. "Schenectady, along with other areas in the in the Tri Cities, became a place that was for high drug trafficking, because of its proximity to the highway, you can pretty much get on and off you know, very easily," said Porterfield. Tisdale faces the same charges with two additional counts each of third-degree criminal possession and sale counts related to allegations he sold cocaine in July and on a second occasion in August, according to the police allegations. Through operations, such as Cross Town Quarantine, we remain committed to working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to ensure that our communities remain safe. At the hearing, Barnett said Civitello had been using the Jeep every day and was well aware that it had been seized. The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The event takes place on April 24, 2021 from 10am to 2pm at . Sep. 1MORIAH State Police and other law enforcement agencies say they rounded up a dozen drug dealers in a multi-day raid here. Fax: 315-448-0689. "Its no secret how badly and for how long the government sought the indictment of my clients father, attempting to cooperate anyone and everyone with even a passing knowledge of him including his own son in their efforts," said Lichtman, whose high-profile clients have included Sinaloa drug cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, John A. By, In Albany, Sen. Schumer launches new effort to counter opioid epidemic, Berkshire DA: sedative that can increase overdose risk has been found in local opioids, A federal judge sides with 3 major drug distributors in a landmark opioid lawsuit. They noted in a motion that Civitello has no criminal history and strong family ties in Schenectady, lessening his risk of flight. Dangerous drugs have devastated too many communities throughout our state and claimed too many lives, saidJames. The ring then . If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Market data provided by Factset. Civitello was not in the Jeep at the time, but had been spotted by investigators two days earlier meeting with the three men charged in that case, including Richard Sinde, 56, a reputed Bonanno crime family associate from Fort Lee, N.J, the prosecutor said. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. We'll know more about it when we get a formal grant, which won't come until August, but also HIDTA debt designation opens the door for Schenectady County to make application for other federal resources and other areas such as addiction control and treatment.". A total of 54 people were indicted for their roles in distributing heroin laced with fentanyl, powder and crack cocaine, and methamphetamine to Fulton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Warren counties. Five men are facing up to 25 years each in prison, after a major drug bust operation on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane ahead of schoolies. Members of the 50 Gang range from 18 years old to 25 years old, and they are considered by law enforcement to be responsible for numerous drive-by shootings and homicides that have been plaguing the City of Albany over the past year, including the recent fatal shooting of an 18-year-old in downtown Albany. ALBANY A Schenectady man pleaded guilty Monday to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing and conspiring to distribute marijuana, federal prosecutors said. This collaboration among the various law enforcement agencies sends a clear message that law enforcement will rise to the challenge and protect our communities. Authorities reportedly seized over 2.5 pounds of cocaine and nearly one-third of a pound of. Select a Language Below/Seleccione el Idioma Abajo. A fifth indictment also charges two Uptown Associates with weapons possession. A total of 54 people were indicted for their roles in distributing heroin laced with fentanyl, powder and crack cocaine, and methamphetamine to Fulton, Montgomery, Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer,. 22-DEA-690017: A big drug bust i . Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. The suspects left the drugs in a rental car they had returned, police say. Five Saratoga County residents picked up in state drug bust. Those charged in the remaining indictments are: KAYONTEE BARTEE, 23 years old, Albany, NY PRINCE CURETON, 28 years old, Albany, NY PEDRO DAVILA, 26 years old, Albany, NY EL-SHAQUILLE DOUGLAS, A/K/A DOLO, 27 years old, Albany, NY ALVIN FOY, A/K/A BHIP, A/K/A CHIP, 18 years old, Albany, NY DREW GREENE, A/K/A/ DRIZZY, A/K/A TAY K, A/K/A SPRAY, 19 years old, Albany, NY NICHOLAS HIGGINS, A/K/A SLICK, 28 years old, Albany, NY KEION KIRKLEY, A/K/A HIT, 22 years old, Albany, NYJAHMERE MANNING, A/K/A SPLASH, 19 years old, Albany, NY ZAEQUIAL SHAW, 19 years old, Albany, NY KYMALE THOMPSON, A/K/A GLO, 18 years old, Albany, NYNEYLON WAGNER, A/K/A LOTO, 19 years old, Schenectady, NYDAION MORRIS, 28 years old, Rensselaer, NY, was charged in a separate, related indictment that was unsealed today containing 13 counts, charging him with Criminal Sale of a Controlled substance (class B felony).ESHAWN BERKLEY, 23 years old, Albany, NY, was charged in a separate, related indictment that was unsealed today containing 36 counts, charging him with Criminal Possession of a Weapon (C, D, and E felonies). A lock ( Credit Solution Experts Incorporated offers quality business credit building services, which includes an easy step-by-step system designed for helping clients build their business credit effortlessly. The individuals are accused in those indictments of trafficking heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and guns. The Office of Attorney General's website is provided in English. Following an interview with Hilts, he was found to have been in possession of 140 envelopes containing heroin . The prosecutor described Civitello and his 50-year-old father, Jeffrey Civitello Sr., who owns a construction company located in the same building where the raid took place, as sophisticated drug dealers with numerous criminal associates. The success of this investigation is the direct result of the hard work done by members of the various agencies involved and shows just how effective law enforcement can be when working beyond their jurisdictional boundaries., This case targeted a trafficking network that was bringing dangerous, illegal narcotics into upstate New York and beyond, with no regard for the damage being done to the local communities, saidState Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The indictment seeks a money judgment against both Civitellos of $600,000, the estimated street value of all the drugs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. City Council President Marion Porterfield, also a Democrat, says Schenectady and the Capital Region present an abundance of opportunities for drug trafficking. The first conspiracy centers around the Uptown Associates gang and the leader of this drug distribution network: Jamar Brayboy, a/k/a Un. Brayboy employed a vast network of individuals to sell his drugs and had numerous reseller customers that brought heroin and cocaine from New York City to sell in and around the Capital Region, as well as New York and Orange counties, and even had resellers bringing drugs to Vermont. SCHENECTADY A city police drug raid last week resulted in the arrest of nine people on drug charges, authorities said. April 28th 2021, 6:28 AM PDT. Legal Statement. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. These cases were investigated by the FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, with assistance from New York State Police-Troop G, the Schenectady Police Department, the Schenectady County Sheriffs Office, the Schenectady County District Attorneys Office, the Internal Revenue Service, the Albany County Sheriffs Office, the Albany County District Attorneys Office, the Albany Police Department, the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations, the Warren County Sheriffs Office, and the Troy Police Department. It's a loss of our society because they're not in it anymore, and they could be producing and helping, but it's also a loss to their families and their friends and it leaves a hole in the world.". NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL. Partnerships such as this provide the justice and resolve that city residents have been calling for., Anytime we remove large amounts of illegal drugs and firearms from our streets we save future lives and improve the publics safety, saidState Assemblymember Patricia Fahy. Police also raided an address on Crane Street, a business, the day after the Orchard Street raid. His son was arrested last year on drug and weapon charges. NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL. "This would have been a good time for the defendant to say, 'You know what? Those charged in todays indictment include: Walter Allen, 51 years old, Gloversville, NYDarnell Alston, 49 years old, Gloversville, NYZionna Belknap, 21 years old, Gloversville, NYEverett Russell Bishop, 48 years old, Wilton, NYToni Borromeo, 45 years old, Gloversville, NYSahib Braan, 30 years old, Troy, NYOctavius Brooks, 24 years old, Binghamton, NYLamar Brown, 35 years old, Gloversville, NYChristopher Clark, 39 years old, Amsterdam, NYLawrence Cross, 34 years old, Gloversville, NYDaniel Degnan, 30 years old, Gloversville, NYStephen Dingman, 27 years old, Gloversville, NYFloyd Everson, 47 years old, Port Jefferson, NYMegan Grubb, 32 years old, Gloversville, NYAlex Hanson, 26 years old, Potsdam, NYSean Hines, 38 years old, Gloversville, NYTina Jackson, 49 years old, Gloversville, NYRyan Jacques, 40 years old, St. Regis Falls, NYMiguel John, 26 years old, Saratoga Springs, NYDonald Johnson, 39 years old, Johnstown, NYJohn Kaminski, 43 years old, Fort Johnson, NYChristopher Kippen, 41 years old, Schenectady, NYAdam Krzeski, 37 years old, Gloversville, NYMichael Kuntzsch, 33 years old, St. Johnsville, NYThomas Laverpool, 30 years old, Brooklyn, NYAndre Lewis, 52 years old, Gloversville, NYDylan Mailloux, 30 years old, Little Falls, NYKenneth McKiver, 29 years old, Gloversville, NYErnest McMikle, 35 years old, Gloversville, NYShakona Mikula, 25 years old, Gloversville, NYDonovan Millhouse, 25 years old, Gloversville, NYChristopher Millington, 37 years old, Gansevoort, NYChristian Mitchell, 33 years old, Troy, NYKhalif Mitchell, 35 years old, Hudson, PAAdonta Moore, 24 years old, Gloversville, NYBrianna Nichols, 25 years old, Gloversville, NYBarbara Parker, 47 years old, Gloversville, NYWayne Platt, 37 years old, Gloversville, NYGeorge Ramson, 43 years old, Rotterdam, NYDalton Remines, 28 years old, Galway, NYJacquelynn Ross, 36 years old, Gloversville, NYDashawn Rowland, 27 years old, Gloversville, NYTessa Taylor, 26 years old, Mayfield, NYJordan Thomas, 23 years old, Troy, NYJaviel Tirse, 41 years old, Gloversville, NYSteven VanAllen, 43 years old, Gloversville, NYRoss VanAlstyne, 26 years old, Gloversville, NYClinton Waddell, 39 years old, Middle Grove, NYLaquan Warren, 26 years old, Brooklyn, NYChristopher Williams, 53 years old, Gloversville, NYHassan Wilson, 31 years old, Gloversville, NYJamar Wright, 38 years old, Johnstown, NY. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! "Junior" Gotti, the son of the late Gambino crime family boss and, for a period of time, NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, formerly of Halfmoon. Todays takedown was the result of a joint investigation between the Office of the Attorney Generals (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF), the Albany Police Department, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. All rights reserved. Kuntzsch had customers based in Montgomery, Fulton, Saratoga, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. ALBANY - The owner of a Schenectady construction business and his son were charged in U.S. District Court on Thursday with conspiring to traffic an estimated $600,000 of cocaine in a. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration brought out a heavy hitter an informant paid more than $1.9 million over the past two decades for his tips to help agents seize more than seven . The investigation was directed by Albany Police Department Detective Bill Norris, under the supervision of Detective Sergeant James Wood; and OCTF Detective Maria Romeo, with the assistance of the National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, under the supervision of Detective Supervisor John Monte and Deputy Chief John McManus. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland . He alleged that Civitello and his family are falsely claiming to work at the family business. Anyone relying on information obtained from Google Translate does so at his or her own risk. A job at a family-run construction company. The 54 are accused of roles in the drug trafficking ring, distributing heroin laced with fentanyl, powder and crack cocaine and methamphetamine, officials said. Members regularly posted videos and pictures of themselves possessing handguns, rifles, and machine guns, usually with high-capacity magazines protruding from the gun. Authorities in Germany and Belgium seized more than 23,000 kilograms (50,700 pounds) of cocaine, worth billions of dollars, in an international operation that resulted in one arrest, officials said. This case also shows the scale of drugs, weapons, and money that travels through our suburban and upstate communities., Drug dealers do not contain their violence and other negative impacts on our communities to specific jurisdictions, saidGloversville Police Chief Anthony Clay. Select a Language Below/Seleccione el Idioma Abajo. You have permission to edit this article. That's the last year we have data, there are only 120 were recorded in the region between January and September of 2021. For instance, Morris and his associates referred to crack cocaine as Sour and powder cocaine as Kush, both common names for marijuana. During the course of the investigation, OCTF was able to establish that numerous members of the Downtown Associates were utilizing Snapchat in order to traffic illegal prescription drugs, namely oxycodone. The shooting at a Dix Avenue home early Thursday morning stemmed from an earlier argument at another location, police said Friday. Now, the Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School graduate is facing federal drug and weapon charges in Albany and is being investigated in a separate cocaine-trafficking case involving a reputed Bonanno crime family associate from New Jersey, according to court papers filed in U.S. District Court. Contact him at rgavin@timesunion.com. At least 78 people arrested in bust of two massive drug operations in Central New York Posted: Jul 7, 2021 / 04:07 PM EDT Updated: Jul 8, 2021 / 05:45 PM EDT unused or unwanted prescription drugs. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The case was investigated by the DEAs Capital District Enforcement Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett. As alleged in the indictments, unsealed in Albany County Court today, this year-long investigation seized nearly 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, 140 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, oxycodone, $40,000 in cash, and nine firearms, including one ghost gun., For the past year, Albany and the surrounding areas have been plagued by violent crime that has terrorized our communities and claimed too many lives, said Attorney General James. The six indictments, returned by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on August 24, 2021,were unsealed today (August 31, 2021). At 22, Jeffrey Civitello Jr. appeared to be riding high, but his story took a downward turn on Oct. 21 when federal drug investigators raided his home on the top floor of a Schenectady building on Albany Street and seized 75 pounds of marijuana, loaded weapons and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Understanding Recent Changes to New Yorks Gun Laws, 47 Individuals Arrested for Pumping Heroin, Cocaine, Oxycodone Into Communities, Illegal Possession of Firearms, Defendants Responsible for Recent Shootings, Violent Crime in Albany, NEW YORK New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the indictment of 47 individuals for their roles in two major drug and firearm distribution networks that trafficked heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and firearms in the Capital Region. The Schenectady County Sheriff's Office announced its participation in this year's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which provides and opportunity for the public to safely dispose of expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. A baby on the way. He has pleaded not guilty. Anytime we remove large amounts of illegal drugs and firearms from our streets we save future lives and improve the publics safety, said, James and her offices Organized Crime Task Force agents, the FBIs Safe Streets Task Force members, and Albany Police Department officers for their work in bringing those who flood our local communities with illegal weapons and firearms to justice.. Investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized nine kilograms of cocaine that was in a hidden compartment in the SUV. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Jos Maldonado, and is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. A cat cafis coming to Rotterdam. 18 Swept Up in Rockland Undercover Drug Operation - New City, NY - Scores of undercover drug buys, including oxycodone, cocaine and heroin, in Clarkstown, Orangetown, Haverstraw, Ramapo and Stony . Two people were arrested Monday on drug charges after police responded to a suspicious odor complaint. "Beyond that, money could be used for public health purposes. In Italian, it translates to "The Family is Everything.". This Google translation feature is provided for informational purposes only. Sign up below to find out about upcoming programs first. Schenectady County Superior Court for Drug Treatment 612 State Street Schenectady, NY 12305 Phone: 518-285-8401 - Contact: Jennifer Regan. The firearm charge against Carr was investigated by the Schenectady County Sheriffs Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). So obviously, it's higher. That means just about every other day. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He also agreed to forfeit more than $400,000 in proceeds from the marijuana conspiracy, prosecutors said. The investigation started in April 2021, and focused on two people Auburn police said are gang leaders: Nicholas Neville . On Oct. 21, when officers with a federal Drug Enforcement Administration task force raided what they called a penthouse, they found a gun in the first-floor office of Focus Construction, a company owned by the senior Civitello, who as a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing firearms. Born and raised in Albany, hes been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. We will continue to take every action possible to get guns off our streets, and I thank the Albany Police Department, and all our partners in law enforcement, for their support in protecting our communities., Dangerous drugs and weapons have no place in our communities, said Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins. Five Saratoga County residents were arrested in a major drug trafficking bust announced on Wednesday by Attorney General Letitia James. CALIFORNIA DRUG BUST NETS STUNNING HAUL . Official websites use .gov Categories: News, Schenectady, Schenectady County, More from Schenectady The Daily Gazette, More from Scotia and Glenville The Daily Gazette, Police sergeant leads top earners in Saratoga Springs for 2022, Proctors Theatre moving forward with microgrid, Biz Beat: Making a mothers dream come true with restaurant on Broadway in Schenectady, Plans for downtown park along Schenectady's Jay Street moving forward, Weekend snowstorm brings power outages to Capital Region. Two days later, the same men who met the Civitellos in Schenectady were inside the SUV when authorities stopped the vehicle in Greene County. The Democrat announced that the Office of National Drug Control Policy has heeded his call and granted Schenectady County's request to be designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area . Frasier, ofSchenectady, is facing a charge of unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. He also admitted to possessing about 20 pounds of marijuana and a 10 mm handgun when DEA agents searched his house in October, prosecutors said. "This transfer reinforces the governments argument that the defendant is involved in drug trafficking activities with his father," Barnett said. Drug Bust April 24, 2022 4:42 am . The defendants and their co-conspirators frequently utilized coded and cryptic terminology in an attempt to disguise their illicit activities. The defendant faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges. The 54 are accused of roles in the drug trafficking ring, distributing heroin laced with fentanyl, powder and crack cocaine and methamphetamine, officials said. Dave Lucas is WAMCs Capital Region Bureau Chief. Schenectady County District Attorney Bob Carney : "The amount of money that we were suggesting we should apply for which is $100,000 will allow us to at least bring on a crime analyst working at the Capital District Regional Crime Analysis Center, who will be dedicated to trafficking patterns and crime issues in Schenectady County," Carney said. Posted 8 Jun 2021 8 Jun 2021 Tue 8 Jun 2021 at 6:25am , updated . Initiative, a law enforcement effort that brings together state and local law enforcement to target New Yorks growing and often violent heroin, opioid, and narcotics trafficking networks. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. SCHENECTADY -- A prostitution ring was busted by city police, with assistance from state troopers, Wednesday, resulting in charges for six women and two men. In court papers opposing Civitellos release, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett suggested the defendant's family ties did not entirely help his case. Overall, 53 percent (i.e., 1,128) of all persons arrested because of primary drug crimes (possession, production, trafficking, etc.) This case is a good example of how drug dealers have no jurisdictional boundaries and they actually try and use those boundaries to further criminal activity, saidJohnstown Police Chief David Gilbo. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Northern District of New York schenectady drug bust 2021william paterson university application fee waiver.