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Rochester Man Convicted of Murder and Narcotics Offenses
A federal jury has convicted Damion Colabatistto, 39, of Rochester, NY of murder, conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin, and possessing firearms during, in relation to, and in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy.
According to U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr., Colabatistto was an enforcer for a violent narcotics distribution organization who was responsible for many acts of violence in support of the group’s illicit activities in the greater Rochester area.
The murder conviction carries a maximum term of life in prison, the drug conspiracy a maximum term of 20 years in prison, and the firearms conviction carries a mandatory minimum five years in prison and a maximum of life, to run consecutive to the sentences imposed on the other counts of conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everardo A. Rodriguez and Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on July 26, 2009, Colabatistto and his former brother-in-law and friend Angelo Ocasio went to 137 Cameron Street looking to kill a rival drug dealer with whom Colabatistto and another co-conspirator had fought the night before.
When they arrived at the house, Colabatistto and Ocasio shot and killed Moesha Harmon, 20, a mother of two small children, when she came to the upstairs window of the residence believing she was the rival drug dealer.
During Colabatistto’s trial, the Government’s evidence established that one of the two guns used to murder Moesha Harmon was also used to murder Jose Troche on January 14, 2010, outside his house at 510 Augustine Street in Rochester.
James Kendrick and Paul Plaza, the leaders of the drug distribution conspiracy, were tried in a separate seven-week trial in June and July of this year and were each found guilty of the drug trafficking conspiracy and of several other charges.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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