Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Gun Charge For His Role In Cocaine Conspiracy

CONTACT: Barbara Burns   
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Deshan Scott, 22, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that between September and October 26, 2021, Scott conspired with others to sell cocaine. In the early morning of October 26, 2021, investigators executed search warrants at numerous locations associated with the narcotics conspiracy, including a residence on Bernard Street. At that location, Scott worked as a lookout for the organization, watching for threats to their operation such as law enforcement or armed robbers, while other co-conspirators sold street-level quantities of cocaine to customers. When Scott saw law enforcement approaching, he threw a loaded 9mm handgun out of a window, which was found on a roof ledge outside a window. During the search of the residence, law enforcement also recovered 200 plastic vials of cocaine and $2,310 United States currency.

Scott was arrested and charged along with eight other defendants. He is the fifth defendant to be convicted.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Thomas Brophy; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Philip Povero; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Interim Police Chief David M. Smith; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; the Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Catholdi; and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2022, before Judge Geraci.   

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