Schenectady and Amsterdam Men Plead Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Leamzy Soto Calderon, aka “Lee” and “Gordo,” 28, of Schenectady, New York, and Gregory Insogna, 45, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty on Friday and today, respectively, to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Keith M. Corlett. 

In pleading guilty, Soto Calderon 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.  As a member of the organization, Soto Calderon regularly picked up hundreds of grams of heroin and delivered thousands of dollars in cash in payment for the heroin; prepared the heroin for sale by mixing it with cutting agent and packaging it into “bags” and “bundles”; and sold the heroin to a large customer base in and around Schenectady, New York.  In December 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Soto Calderon’s residence in Schenectady and seized 268 grams of heroin, cutting agent, and heroin processing materials. 

In his guilty plea, Insogna admitted to being a member of the same drug-trafficking organization and to obtaining heroin from Soto Calderon, and others, which Insogna then sold in Amsterdam, New York.  Insogna also admitted to directing couriers to pick up the heroin from and deliver payment for the heroin to Soto Calderon in Schenectady. 

Soto Calderon faces at least 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $10 million.  Insogna faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life, and a fine of up to $5 million.  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.

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