Jamaican Citizen Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

UTICA, NEW YORK – Leon Byrd, a/k/a “Paul Edwards,” age 61, a Jamaican citizen residing in Winthrop, New York, was sentenced today to time served (26 months in prison) in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute approximately 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 29 grams of methamphetamine.

The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.

As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Byrd admitted that from September 2022 through June 2023, he worked with a drug trafficking organization led by codefendants Troy Dean and Maijia Scott that trafficked cocaine from New York City and methamphetamine from California to the Winthrop area of St. Lawrence County, New York. When Scott and Dean were not available to distribute cocaine in Winthrop, Byrd distributed cocaine on their behalf and at their direction.

On June 22, 2023, police executed a search warrant at Dean and Scott’s residence in Winthrop, where Byrd also lived.  Byrd was present in the home at the time the search warrant was executed.  In the home, police seized approximately 1,500 grams of cocaine, approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine and $26,597 in U.S. currency.

At one time Byrd held permanent U.S. resident status, which lapsed in 2004.

Dean has also pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Scott’s case is scheduled for trial in December. The charges against Scott are merely accusations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Leon Byrd was permitted to legally enter this country, overstayed his lawful status by about 20 years, and involved himself in cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking. After he’s released from prison, he will face deportation and will not be allowed to return to the United States. We will continue to rid this country of foreign nationals who seek to distribute poisonous drugs in our communities.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated, “This case underscores the threat posed by traffickers who distribute both cocaine and methamphetamine into our communities. These drugs fuel addiction and violence, and the DEA will remain focused on dismantling the networks that bring them into New York.”

The DEA is investigating this case with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.