Three Men Arrested in Utica Drug Raid

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Three men were arrested and five (5) kilograms of cocaine were seized on Saturday in Utica, New York when U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents, New York State Police, and local law enforcement agencies ended a long term investigation of drug trafficking in Oneida County, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, and New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach, II.

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, law enforcement officers from the DEA, the New York State Police, and several local police agencies arrested Gilbert Rosa-Sanchez, 42, of Utica, Nicolas Peralta, 40, of Utica and Ramon Gomez, 46, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, on Saturday October 8, 2016, following a multi-agency drug investigation that began in January 2016.  The complaint alleges that a total of four (4) kilograms of cocaine were seized during the execution of search warrants at two locations in Utica, and one (1) kilogram of cocaine was seized in Rosa Sanchez’ vehicle at the time he was stopped and arrested, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.

The criminal complaint charges all three defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, in an amount exceeding five (5) kilograms. If convicted of this offense, the defendants face a minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to ten million dollars, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 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. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter on Sunday October 9, 2016 for their initial appearance. They appeared in court today for further proceedings with their attorneys. 

This case is being investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York State Police-Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, The Oneida County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Rome Police Department and the City of Utica Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman.