Niagara Falls Woman Pleads Guilty For Her Role in Cocaine Conspiracy

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Katherine Dejesus-Gonzalez, 36, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that between October 2017 and July 19, 2018, the defendant conspired with Edgar Joel Jimenez-Rodriguez, Jose Garcia-Santiago, and others to sell cocaine. On May 26, 2018, the New York State Police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by co-conspirator Jose Garcia-Santiago. Dejesus-Gonzalez was a passenger. Troopers seized five kilograms of cocaine from the vehicle.

In addition, investigators intercepted conversations involving the defendant facilitating drug trafficking activities with her co-conspirators. In September 2017, the U.S. Postal Service intercepted packages arriving from Puerto Rico which were addressed to various residences in Niagara Falls. Postal inspectors seized approximately five kilograms of cocaine that were intended for the defendant and her co-conspirators.  One of the packages was addressed directly to the defendant’s home address. Another was addressed to the home of Garcia-Santiago. 

Edgar Joel Jimenez-Rodriguez and Jose Garcia-Santiago were previously convicted. Jimenez-Rodriguez has been sentenced, Garcia-Santiago is awaiting sentencing.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata; and the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of Lieutenant Kevin Reyes and Major Mary Clark.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Geraci. 

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