Angel Nunez, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty today to a federal oxycodone trafficking conspiracy that funneled hundreds of painkillers into the streets of upstate New York. The plea marks the latest blow in a broader crackdown on opioid networks stretching from New York City to the Capital Region.
U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the DEA’s New York Division confirmed the guilty plea in a joint statement. Nunez admitted to orchestrating a months-long scheme from October 2015 through February 2016, during which he obtained approximately 2,000 oxycodone tablets from sources in New York City.
He then transported the pills north to Albany, where he distributed them to a network of co-conspirators for street-level sale in the Northern District of New York. The operation fed into the region’s growing opioid crisis, authorities say, turning prescription drugs into black-market currency.
Nunez now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a mandatory 3 years of post-release supervised supervision. Sentencing is scheduled for February 22, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, who will weigh the charges, federal sentencing guidelines, and aggravating factors in determining the final penalty.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, whose agents have intensified efforts to dismantle supply chains fueling addiction and overdose deaths. Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman, who emphasized the federal commitment to targeting mid-level distributors.
Nunez’s guilty plea underscores the reach of urban drug networks into smaller communities—and the federal machinery determined to stop them. As the opioid epidemic continues to plague neighborhoods across the state, cases like this reveal the cold logistics behind the crisis: pills, profit, and prison.
RELATED: Corrupt CEO Pleads Guilty to $20M Embezzlement Scheme
RELATED: Guard Used Power for Sex: Jessup Prison Abuse
Related Federal Cases
- Slingerlands Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Conspiracy · New York
- Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Distribution Conspiracy · New York
- Brooklyn Man Convicted in Rutland Heroin, Crack Conspiracy · New York
- Albany Man Cops to Oxycodone Conspiracy, Gets 3 Years · New York
- Bolivian ‘Drug Czar’ Unmasked: 25 Years for Cocaine Conspiracy · Indiana
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More