Attorney General Letitia James announced the convictions of 31 individuals for their involvement in major drug trafficking operations across New York’s Central region and North Country. These verdicts stem from two separate investigations led by the OAG’s Organized Crime Task Force and the Syracuse Police Department, which uncovered the trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and a staggering 150,000 packets of fentanyl and heroin. The confiscated drugs held an estimated street value exceeding half a million dollars, as reported by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
According to the announcement, the defendants have pleaded guilty in Onondaga County Court, with sentences ranging from probation to 12 years in prison. In addition to their prison time, over $25,000 connected to drug trafficking and two vehicles used for distributing narcotics have been forfeited. Bayron Castro, alias “Hov”, led one of the indicted groups and will serve 12 years, followed by five years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree.
“This investigation successfully took down two drug trafficking rings that put communities throughout New York at risk by distributing deadly amounts of fentanyl,” Attorney General James said in the statement, obtained by the Office of the Attorney General. Spanning multiple counties, including Onondaga, Oswego, Cortland, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence, these extensive operations were exposed through careful electronic surveillance, undercover operations, and search warrants…