New York Paralegal Blog

Good news for our communities! Juan Correa Jr., a 31-year-old from Syracuse, was just sentenced to seven years in federal prison. His crimes? Dealing with over 5 kilograms of cocaine and then trying to hide the money he made from those sales. What happened? From May to July 2024, Correa Jr. was caught working with others to sell cocaine right here in Onondaga County. He even admitted to collecting the cash from these drug sales and mailing it all the way to Puerto Rico, where his suppliers would use it to buy even more cocaine. It was a whole system designed to keep the illegal drug trade going. A Team Effort This wasn't a solo effort to catch him, though. U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III announced that this success was thanks to a massive team effort. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Syracuse Police Department, all w...

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Twenty-eight individuals have been arrested for their alleged roles in a cocaine trafficking ring based in Northern Virginia that uses couriers to regularly import large amounts of cocaine from Honduras hidden in shoes and decorative wooden frames. Members of the trafficking ring have allegedly wired more than $1 million from the United States back to cocaine suppliers in Honduras.

Defendant Also Convicted of Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Connection with the Drug Conspiracy Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ALFREDO RIVERA, a retired New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officer, was found guilty yesterday on both counts of an indictment that charged him with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in connection with that conspiracy. The verdict came following a four-day jury trial in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - On Saturday, 132 kilograms (290 pounds) of cocaine with a street value of $11 million was seized in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, by agents and officers from the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD). As part of a multi-agency operation, law enforcement officers assigned to the task force inspected vehicles, passengers and cargo on board ferries at the Fajardo port of entry arriving from the islands of Culebra and Vieques, off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico. During the inspection, CBP scanned a dump truck that arrived from Culebra, which revealed brick-shaped objects concealed in the hydraulic system of the truck's bed. Further inspection revealed that the hydraulic shaft was removed and the bottom was welded. When CBP attempted to identify the driver, he fled the port area undetected abandoning the tru...

Update: Jury Imposes Death Sentence Against Bridgeport Drug Dealer for Murdering Three People in 2005 David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found AZIBO AQUART, also known as “Azibo Smith,” “Azibo Siwatu Jahi Smith,” “D,” “Dreddy,” and “Jumbo,” 30, of Bridgeport guilty of the August 24, 2005 murders of Tina Johnson, 43; James Reid, 40, and Basil Williams, 54. The trial before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton began on April 20 and the jury returned the verdicts today after approximately three hours of deliberations. According to the evidence disclosed during the trial, AQUART was the founder and leader of a drug trafficking group that primarily sold crack cocaine out of an apartment building located at 215 Charles Street in Bridgeport. AQUART and his associates participated in acts of violence...

Greg M. Cavaluzzi, 34, a former Pelham middle school teacher, was sentenced to five years in prison and five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine and traveling with intent to have illicit sex with a minor. Greg M. Cavaluzzi plead guilty on February 17, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas, who imposed today's sentence in White Plains federal court. See, USDOJ

Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Emmanuel Tavarez pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, and the use of a firearm in relation to these crimes for his participation in multiple armed robberies of narcotics traffickers in the New York City metropolitan area and elsewhere while he was employed as a police officer in the New York City Police Department. The guilty plea proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky. When sentenced by United States District Judge Sandra L. Townes, Tavarez faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The conviction was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York As alleged in the indictment and other court filings by the government, Tavarez participated in a violent robbery crew responsible for more than 100 armed robberies of narcotics traffickers that netted more than 250 kilograms of cocaine and $1 million i...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working jointly with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partners arrested, arrested two suspected Dominican Republic smugglers Thursday. Law enforcement also seized a 20-foot yola (boat) and 155 pounds of cocaine, with an approximately street value of $1.6 million. The arrest followed a multi-agency at-sea interdiction in the Mona Passage. The crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) aircraft detected two men aboard a suspicious yola traveling towards Puerto Rico during a law enforcement patrol Thursday afternoon, approximately 30 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. U.S. Coast Guard in Sector San Juan proceeded to notify and divert several assets to approach the suspect vessel.

“Operation Trump” Seizes Over Four Kilos of Cocaine, Handguns, a Car and Cash SYRACUSE, NY (September 29, 2009) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that narcotics trafficking charges have been filed against 24 individuals who are alleged to have been involved in drug distribution networks in and around the Syracuse area. These indictments are the result of an investigation known as “Operation Trump” conducted by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) with assistance from the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Syracuse Police Department, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and numerous other law enforcement agencies. During the course of the investigation, over 4-1/2 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of approximately $320,000, two handguns, a car used for smuggling drugs, and close to $9,800 in cash were seized. The individuals are being prosecuted on three separate indictments. The name “Operation Trump” ...