Operation “Extreme Delivery” Leads To 69 Count Indictment And Seizure Of Six Kilos Of Cocaine, Six Ounces Of Heroin
Schneiderman: Operations Like This Get Violent Criminals Off The Street And Protect Our Neighborhoods From The Drug Epidemic
SYRACUSE – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a multi-count indictment resulting in the arrest of 11Syracuse-area residents on drug trafficking charges. The 69count indictment includes counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First, Second andThird Degree, as well as Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First, Second & Third Degree, as well as Conspiracy in the Second Degree.
"Drug trafficking is a statewide problem made up of a sophisticated network of dealers and suppliers," said Attorney General Schneiderman."Multi-agency investigations like this one help to bring down dangerous drug rings, get violent criminals off the street and protect our neighborhoods from the drug epidemic. Together, we are working to protect our communities and make the streets of Central New York safer."
The large scale drug network transported cocaine from Puerto Rico, Arizona and the New York City Metropolitan for distribution in Syracuse and Watertown. The defendants also transported heroin from the New York City Metropolitan area to Syracuse. The Attorney General office’s seized in excess of six kilograms of cocaine and approximately six ounces of heroin.
The charges stem from a nine-month, multi-agency investigation code-named “Extreme Delivery,” that included covert surveillance, hundreds of hours of wiretaps and execution of search warrants at several locations. The New York State Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) led several agencies including New York State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Customs and Border Patrol, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, the Syracuse Police Department, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the Camillus Police Department, the Solvay Police Department, the Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force, Onondaga County Probation Department, and Public Safety at Syracuse University.
According to the indictment unsealed in Onondaga County Court today, this investigation led to the discovery of a drug distribution network, which impacted the City of Syracuse and neighboring communities. Investigators discovered that Joel Gonzalez was distributing a large volume of cocaine to customers in the City of Syracuse. Investigators discovered a pipeline of cocaine was coming through Elias Diaz-Pizarro from Puerto Rico and Arizona.
The following are some of the recoveries that occurred as part of the investigation:
- Police recovered a shipment of cocaine from DeJesus Matos to Diaz-Pizarro which resulted in the recovery of approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine.
- On February 28th 2012, police executed a search warrant, recovering two kilograms of cocaine and $73,000 that Mercado Guadalupe had shipped from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, and was delivered by Maria Ortiz to Diaz-Pizarro in Syracuse.
- On July 31, 2012, investigators executed a search warrant at Juan Correa's residence and recovered over two and a half ounces of cocaine. Investigators discovered Nelson Olacio was supplying Correa heroin and investigators kept going up the chain to discover Olacio had multiple suppliers from the New York City area, including Felix Sicard, Gregorio Burgos and Hosman Silfrido Guerrero Pavon.
New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico said, “The combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement have delivered a significant blow to the cocaine trade in Central New York. Our streets are now safer with these individuals taken into custody. The coordination and cooperation of the agencies involved resulted in arrests that will severely impact the ability of this drug operation to function. Today's events send a strong message to dealers throughout the region that we will not tolerate drugs being brought into, or sold in our communities.”
In a series of raids early this morning, law enforcement officers arrested several of the defendants. Those charged in today’s indictment include:
Karnoddrick Anderson, Watertown
Gregorio Burgos, New York City
Alexis Carrasquillo, Syracuse
Marciano Cirino, Syracuse
Juan Correa, Syracuse
Kamar Davidson, New York City
Julio Dejesus Matos, Florida
Elias Diaz-Pizarro, Syracuse
Jose Encarnacion, Syracuse
Deanna Gladle, Syracuse
Joel Gonzalez, Syracuse
Hosman Silfrido Guerrero Pavon, New York City
Jose Jurado, Connecticut
Joseph Leible, Syracuse
Alexandro Mercado Guadalupe, Puerto Rico
Kellon Noel, New York City
Nelson Olacio, Syracuse
Angel Ortiz, Syracuse
Maria Ortiz, Connecticut
Ernesto Rivera, Syracuse
Felix Sicard, New York City
Christopher Wilson, Watertown
Colby Worlds, Watertown
The investigation was conducted by OCTF Special Investigator John MacConaghy, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator Thomas M. Wolf and Chief Investigator Eugene Black and NYSP Investigator Buenaventura Ruiz-Ortiz.
The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General Irene S. Bardot, under the supervision of OCTF Deputy Attorney General Peri Alyse Kadanoff and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Prosecutions Kelly Donovan.
The charges against the defendants are accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.