Omar Alaidrus, Distributing Controlled Substances, New York 2023

A 23-year-old Schenectady man has been charged with distributing fentanyl and Xanax, according to a federal complaint.

Omar Alaidrus, 23, was arrested on March 29, 2023 after a police officer, posing as a customer, went into the deli and grocery in Schenectady where Alaidrus was working behind the counter.

Alaidrus used the officer's electronic benefits card to record a purchase of $201.15 using what are commonly known as 'food stamps,' removed $100 from the cash register, kept that cash, and gave the officer fentanyl pills and Xanax.

The charge filed against Alaidrus carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life.

Alaidrus appeared today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 17, 2024.

The case is being investigated by the USDA-OIG, HSI, the Schenectady County Sheriff's Office, the Schenectady Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.

Alaidrus is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/schenectady-man-charged-distributing-fentanyl-and-xanax