Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Offenses

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Wakeem Ricks, age 31, of Albany, pled guilty today to four counts of distributing cocaine base.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.

As part of his guilty plea, Ricks admitted that he sold cocaine base to another individual on four separate occasions in Albany in September 2021. 

At his sentencing, scheduled for January 5, 2023, Ricks faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of between 5 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case was investigated by the DEA, Albany Police Department, and Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia.