Clifford Billins, Fentanyl Trafficking, New York 2018

A ruthless fentanyl trafficker from Utica, New York, has been handed a lengthy prison sentence for his role in a conspiracy to distribute deadly narcotics in the region.

Clifford Billins, 41, was sentenced to serve 151 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., following a guilty conviction in connection with a racketeering scheme that saw him and his co-conspirators sell fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and heroin to individual users in Rochester and Utica.

The sentencing is the culmination of an extensive investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, led by Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley; and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron D. Singletary.

The evidence presented during the trial revealed that Billins was a key player in the conspiracy, which operated between September 2017 and August 2018. He was responsible for trafficking bulk quantities of illicit narcotics, which were then redistributed to individual users in the region.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who handled the case, stated that the defendant's actions had a devastating impact on the community, citing the dangers of fentanyl and other narcotics.

The sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the severe consequences that those involved in the narcotics trade can expect to face. As the investigation and prosecution of these crimes continue, law enforcement agencies will remain vigilant in their pursuit of justice for the victims of these heinous crimes.

Contact: Barbara Burns, (716) 843-5817, (716) 551-3051.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/utica-fentanyl-trafficker-going-prison