Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Heroin

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jose Cortes-Cruz, aka “Bimbo,” age 28, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.

The announcement was made by 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 Superintendent Keith M. Corlett. 

In pleading guilty, Cortes-Cruz admitted to being a member of a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin in Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018.  As a member of the organization, the defendant picked up heroin and delivered thousands of dollars in cash as payment.  The heroin was then sold in and around Schenectady. 

Cotes-Cruz faces up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $1 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.

Cortez-Cruz was charged with eight other defendants in an indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Schenectady.  Four of Cortes-Cruz’s co-defendants, Leamzy Soto Calderon, aka “Lee,” aka “Gordo,” Linette Marie Soto, Kristen Jansen, and Gregory Insogna, have pled guilty.  Co-defendants Jean Carlos Rivera-Perez, aka, “Tego,” Esteban Ressy, aka “The Boss,” and Patrick McNamara are pending trial.  The final defendant, Daniel Garcia, aka “Danny,” is at large.  The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.  Rivera-Perez, Ressy, Garcia and McNamara, are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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