Jimolo Coates, a.k.a. “Lo,” “Marlo,” and “Brodie,” age 24, of Annapolis, Maryland, pled guilty today to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that fed addiction and violence in Plattsburgh, New York. The guilty plea marks a key blow against a sprawling drug network that moved multi-kilo shipments from Maryland and upstate New York into a small border city already reeling from the opioid crisis.
According to court documents, Coates admitted to selling 40 grams of heroin to Melissa Kusalonis in Annapolis for $4,000—repeatedly. Kusalonis then hauled the poison north, breaking it down into personal-use quantities for street-level sale in and around Plattsburgh. The operation ran from at least June 2016, exploiting interstate routes and evading detection—until the net began to close.
After Coates was arrested and detained in early September 2016, he didn’t stop the flow—he rerouted it. From behind bars, he directed two couriers, Tynaejah Thompson, 21, and Kiara Scott, 28—both of Annapolis—to deliver heroin and collect cash from Kusalonis. Coates also admitted to selling distribution-size quantities to Charles Adams, 32, of Peru, New York, who regularly transported the drug alongside Kusalonis.
Coates is one of 10 defendants indicted in two related cases targeting the same heroin distribution ring. So far, eight others have also pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin: Kyle Touchstone, 30, of Plattsburgh; Melissa Kusalonis, a.k.a. “Mel” and “Liss,” 36, of Plattsburgh; Tynaejah Thompson, a.k.a. “Naee,” 21, of Annapolis; Kiara Scott, 28, of Annapolis; Anthony DeFilippo, a.k.a. “Flip,” 36, of Schenectady; Charles Adams, a.k.a. “Chuck,” 32, of Peru; Travynn Ippolito, a.k.a. “Trav,” 30, of Plattsburgh; and Luke Kiroy, 33, of Saranac, New York.
The tenth defendant, Danielle Conners, 32, of Plattsburgh, is set for trial on April 2, 2018. The charge against her remains an accusation—she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. But the evidence gathered by federal and local task forces paints a picture of an organized, multi-tiered drug pipeline stretching hundreds of miles across state lines.
U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino will sentence Coates on June 22, 2018. He faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, plus a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 8 years and up to life. The investigation was led by the DEA Task Force in Plattsburgh, with support from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, New York State Police, Clinton and Essex County Sheriff’s Offices, Plattsburgh Police, and the New York State Department of Corrections. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Katherine Kopita.
Related Federal Cases
- Maryland Man Sentenced for Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine Distribution · Maryland
- Maryland Man Sentenced for Heroin and Fentanyl Ring · Pennsylvania
- NY Dealer Down: 10lbs Meth, 400g Fentanyl · Kansas
- NY Dealer Down: 10lbs Meth, Fentanyl Nabbed · Kansas
- Frederick Dealer Jonathan Blackman Gets 10 Years for Heroin Ring · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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