Carlos Rivera, 43, of Chatham, New York, is headed to federal prison for five years after admitting to stashing nearly half a kilo of cocaine and keeping a loaded shotgun in his bedroom. Rivera was sentenced today to 60 months behind bars on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The takedown traces back to September 2018, when law enforcement officers uncovered a calculated drug operation spun from Rivera’s home. Inside his bathroom, they seized 79.5 grams of cocaine. But the real haul was in his garage—400 grams of the drug hidden in plastic containers magnetically affixed to his vehicle. Also found: a digital scale and packaging material, clear indicators of distribution.
Rivera didn’t just deal drugs—he armed himself. In his bedroom, investigators found a Mossberg 535 12 gauge shotgun, 12 gauge rounds scattered on the floor, and more ammunition tucked inside his closet. The presence of the firearm triggered the federal felon-in-possession charge, a violation carrying stiff penalties under U.S. law.
Cash was part of the payoff. Agents seized $5,000 from Rivera’s dresser. As part of his sentence, he must forfeit that sum along with an additional $2,000 in drug proceeds—totaling $7,000—and surrender the Mossberg shotgun used to intimidate and protect his illicit enterprise.
The case was aggressively pursued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, reflecting the ongoing crackdown on rural drug networks feeding into the broader opioid and stimulant crisis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Anderson prosecuted, underscoring the federal government’s zero-tolerance stance on drug-related gun violence.
Upon release, Rivera will face six years of supervised probation—time under the watchful eye of federal authorities. U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, and Sheriff David P. Bartlett all confirmed the sentencing, calling it a necessary strike against drug-fueled gun crime in upstate communities.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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