ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A pair of young men from Buffalo are facing serious time after admitting to their roles in a drug operation that brought a hefty load of “Molly” into Western New York. Connor Dempsey, 20, and Joel C. Jacob, 21, both entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford, setting the stage for potential prison sentences.
Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced the guilty pleas, detailing that Dempsey admitted to conspiring to maintain a drug-involved premises, essentially running a crash pad for illicit activity. Jacob, meanwhile, copped to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute MDMA, the party drug commonly known as “Molly.” Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine – a steep price for a risky venture.
The bust originated with a package intercepted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on August 17, 2016. Jacob signed for the parcel, delivered to their shared residence on Campus Drive in Buffalo. What was inside? Over 180 grams of pure MDMA, shipped all the way from Munchen, Germany, and purchased using the anonymity of bitcoins. This wasn’t a small-time operation; it was a clear attempt to flood the streets with a dangerous substance.
When law enforcement raided the Campus Drive apartment, they didn’t just find MDMA. The place was a veritable pharmacy of illegal substances. Officers recovered marijuana, LSD, cocaine, THC, Xanax, and ketamine. Alongside the drugs, they found the tools of the trade: a digital scale, baggies, empty capsules, and other drug paraphernalia. Adding insult to injury, another parcel addressed to a third, unnamed co-defendant was also discovered.
The investigation, spearheaded by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, paints a picture of a calculated effort to profit from illegal drugs. Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly of ICE/HSI and Inspector-in-Charge Shelly Binkowski of the Boston Division of the Postal Inspection Service oversaw the operation, demonstrating a coordinated federal response to the growing threat of online drug trafficking.
Dempsey and Jacob are scheduled to be sentenced on August 16, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Wolford. While a guilty plea doesn’t guarantee a lighter sentence, it does signify acceptance of responsibility. But with the amount of drugs involved and the conspiracy charges, both men are likely looking at significant time behind bars. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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