Matthew Lagoe, 34, of Jamesville, New York, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 24 months for attempting to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 tablets of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. The sentence, handed down in Syracuse, also includes a mandatory three-year term of supervised release following incarceration.
Lagoe admitted in federal court that in March 2017, he traveled to a U.S. Post Office in Syracuse to retrieve a package he believed contained the illicit shipment ordered from Germany. What he didn’t know: U.S. law enforcement had already intercepted the parcel, seized the actual MDMA, and replaced the contents with a harmless substitute.
The operation was led by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), whose agents monitored the delivery and moved in the moment Lagoe attempted to claim the package. The bust exposed a cross-border effort to funnel large quantities of synthetic drugs into Central New York for street distribution.
Lagoe was arrested at the scene and later charged in federal court with attempting to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. His guilty plea confirmed his intent to resell the ecstasy, a Schedule I drug linked to club scenes and high-risk behavior.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sahar Amandolare and Michael D. Gadarian, who emphasized the reach of federal drug enforcement in stopping international shipments before they reach local streets. U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith called the sentencing a warning to would-be drug traffickers.
Kevin M. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Buffalo, underscored the agency’s vigilance in monitoring postal channels exploited by traffickers. ‘This case shows that no package, no matter where it originates, is invisible to law enforcement,’ Kelly said. ‘We’re watching.’
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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