Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm Crimes

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Anthony Beverly, age 34, most recently of Syracuse, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Beverly admitted that on October 26, 2023, he knowingly possessed in his Onondaga County apartment three pistols, extended ammunition magazines, and approximately 615 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Beverly further admitted that when he possessed the firearms and ammunition, he knew that he had previously been convicted of a felony. Specifically, in 2015 he was sentenced in Onondaga County Court to 2 to 6 years’ imprisonment as a result of his conviction of possession of a forged instrument in the first degree. Beverly further admitted that in his apartment, he possessed various controlled substances which he intended to distribute to others, including cocaine base, powder cocaine, N,N-Dimethylpentylone (sold as “molly”), fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

At sentencing, Beverly faces a total of up to 35 years in federal prison, a total maximum fine of $1,250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. 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.

FBI and the Syracuse Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.

This case was charged as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.