SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – The gritty streets of Utica were hit with a heavy punch today as Johan Rijo-Richiez, a 30-year-old Dominican national, received a 35-month prison sentence for his roles in a local cocaine conspiracy and illegal firearm possession.
Rijo-Richiez’s conviction followed his guilty pleas on December 20, 2016, to charges of conspiring to distribute between 200 and 300 grams of cocaine, illegal firearm possession, and three identity theft-related convictions. His sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
His crime spree began in early 2016 when he conspired with codefendant Chanel Garcia-Enrique, who was later sentenced to 51 months in prison, to distribute the illegal substance in Utica. During his April 4, 2016, arrest, law enforcement found a shotgun at Rijo-Richiez’s residence and uncovered his extensive lies about his identity.
After his capture, Rijo-Richiez falsely claimed he was ‘Juan Ortiz Rodriguez,’ born in Puerto Rico, and a U.S. citizen, when in fact he was a citizen of the Dominican Republic and an illegal alien. He also possessed false identification documents in the name of ‘Juan Ortiz Rodriguez’.
This case is a stark reminder of how drug traffickers operate in our communities and how they use false identities to evade justice. The investigation was a joint effort by the DEA, Oneida County Drug Task Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Central New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl G. Eurenius and Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Grant Garramone prosecuted the case.
Rijo-Richiez will face removal proceedings by the Department of Homeland Security upon his release from prison.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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