Syracuse Cocaine Kingpin Gonzalski Gets 54 Months

SYRACUSE, NY – Michael Gonzalski, 36, is headed to federal prison after receiving a 54-month sentence Tuesday for running a cocaine operation and attempting to wash the dirty money it generated. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge David N. Hurd, bringing a close – at least for now – to Gonzalski’s criminal enterprise in Onondaga County.

According to court documents, Gonzalski peddled cocaine to customers throughout the county from August 2020 until his arrest on March 30, 2022. Federal investigators determined the scope of his operation was significant: approximately 10 kilograms of powder cocaine flowed through his network during that period. This wasn’t just a small-time hustle; Gonzalski was moving serious weight.

But moving the drugs was only half the game. Gonzalski also engaged in money laundering, attempting to disguise the source of his illicit profits through a shady automobile transaction. The feds weren’t fooled. The court slapped him with a $333,111 money judgment, demanding he forfeit the proceeds of his drug dealing. That’s a hefty price to pay for a few years of pushing poison.

The bust was a collaborative effort, involving a multi-agency task force including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), the New York State Police (NYSP), the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and even the IRS Criminal Investigation division. It sends a clear message: law enforcement isn’t playing games.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New York Division, announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe prosecuted the case, building a solid case against Gonzalski based on evidence gathered during the investigation. The conviction and sentencing serve as a stark warning to anyone else thinking of following in Gonzalski’s footsteps.

Gonzalski’s prison term will be followed by a three-year period of supervised release. Whether that’s enough to keep him from returning to his old ways remains to be seen. For now, though, the streets of Syracuse are a little cleaner, and one less dealer is preying on the vulnerable. This case underscores the ongoing battle against the flow of drugs and the relentless pursuit of those who profit from addiction.