Final Defendant in Schenectady Heroin Distribution Conspiracy Pleads Guilty

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Esteban Ressy, aka “The Boss,” age 44, of Puerto Rico and Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to traffic a kilogram or more of heroin.  Ressy was one of nine people indicted in January 2019 as part of law enforcement’s dismantling of a heroin distribution ring in Schenectady.  With Ressy’s plea, all nine defendants have pled guilty. 

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett. 

In pleading guilty, Ressy admitted to being a member of a drug-trafficking organization that distributed a kilogram or more of heroin in Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018.  Ressy, who lived in both Puerto Rico and Schenectady, was the leader of the Schenectady faction of the organization and regularly obtained hundreds of grams of heroin from Jean Carlos Rivera-Perez, aka “Tego,” in the Bronx, New York.  Ressy paid thousands of dollars in cash for the heroin, which was packaged for sale by other members of the organization, including Leamzy Soto Calderon, Linette Marie Soto, and Kristen Jansen, and sold in and around Schenectady.  

On December 20, 2018, law enforcement executed search warrants at Linett Soto’s residence in Schenectady, Soto Calderon and Jansen’s residence in Schenectady, and Rivera-Perez’ residence in the Bronx, and seized, among other items, approximately 268 grams of heroin, cutting agent, heroin processing materials, and $11,066 in cash. 

United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith stated: “Ressy, Rivera-Perez, and their co-conspirators sought to profit from the scourge of heroin, and now face many years in prison.  Dismantling this drug organization demonstrates our commitment to targeting traffickers who are fueling opioid addiction and its tragic consequences.”

“Ressy admitted to bringing deadly drugs into the city of Schenectady as he and his criminal organization preyed on the addictions and vulnerabilities of others,” said Kevin Kelly, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Buffalo.  “HSI continues to work in collaboration with state and local law enforcement to arrest those criminals operating in our communities with no regard for human life.”

New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett stated: “The success of this investigation is the direct result of the hard work and cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement, and I applaud our partners for their dedication to closing this case.  The disruption of this distribution ring serves as a reminder that we will not tolerate the trafficking of deadly, illegal drugs, and those who choose to profit from this activity will be held fully accountable.”

Ressy has four prior drug distribution convictions, including a 2002 conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York for conspiring to distribute heroin. 

Ressy faces at least 15 years and up life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 10 years and up to life, when he is sentenced on April 10, 2020 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.  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 pled guilty and face the following terms of imprisonment:

The following defendants pled guilty and were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:

This case was investigated by HSI, the New York State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Amsterdam Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.