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Press Release

Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms Offenses

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brandon Bartley, age 26, of Albany, pled guilty today to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.

Bartley pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

Bartley admitted that he engaged in a conspiracy to distribute, and that he possessed with intent to distribute, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, from his apartment on Western Avenue in Albany. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched his apartment and found 34 firearms, including a loaded Glock on his bed that he used to protect his drugs and drug proceeds, and other firearms, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 12, 2024, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Bartley faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life, to begin he finishes his prison term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

The following defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation:

  • Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes on March 18, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2024.
  • Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his federal supervised release on May 23, 2023, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition.
  • Devon Newsome was charged by criminal complaint on December 11, 2023, with a firearms trafficking-related offense, and has been released with conditions.

The charges against Jones and Newsome are merely accusations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.

Updated May 24, 2024

Topics
Drug Trafficking
Opioids
Firearms Offenses