Syracuse Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Drug Conspiracy, Money Laundering

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Juan Correa, Jr., age 31, of Syracuse, was sentenced Wednesday to 7 years in federal prison for money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine.  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, made the announcement.

As part of his prior guilty plea, Correa, Jr. admitted that, from May 2024 through July 2024, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County.  He also admitted that as part of the conspiracy he collected proceeds from the cocaine sales and mailed them to his source of supply in Puerto Rico so that they could purchase additional cocaine.

Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Correa, Jr. to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. The remaining co-defendants in this case, Juan Correa, Sr., Ashley Correa and Alex Calcano-Carrasquillo, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “This prosecution of a cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was made possible by the close collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies up and down the East Coast. In this case we tracked down individuals in Florida and Puerto Rico who played key roles in this conspiracy and brought them to justice.”

“The sentencing of Juan Correa Jr., who knowingly distributed cocaine throughout Onondaga County and funneled the proceeds in an effort to flood our streets with even more poison, is a result of the collaborative efforts DEA New York and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals pushing this poison into our communities” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Anytime illicit narcotics are removed from our streets, lives are saved. The DEA remains committed to doing everything in our power to protect our neighborhoods and keep them safe.”

Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation New York, stated: “Mr. Correa brought a highly addictive drug to be moved through towns from here to Puerto Rico, with little regard to the effects of his criminal behavior.  IRS-CI New York remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners in taking down any criminal seeking to poison the communities in which we live.”

Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, stated: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to protecting the mail from criminal misuse.  The successful prosecution of this case should serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to exploit the mail.  We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to stop the distribution of harmful narcotics.”

Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) stated: “This conviction is another prime example of the outstanding collaboration we have between local, state and federal partners.  We couldn't be prouder of the difficult and uncompromising work our narcotics detectives and law enforcement partners put in every day to rid Syracuse of those who decide to peddle their poisons on our streets.”

This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service, and Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown prosecuted the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.