A Niagara Falls man has been convicted of his role in a marijuana conspiracy. Samuel Zito, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
In August 2020, Zito and his co-conspirators, Marquies McTyere and Alexander Schieppati, arranged for a shipment of marijuana to be delivered to Freightboy Logistics in Niagara Falls, NY, from Canada. The shipment, which contained approximately 600 pounds of marijuana packaged in vacuum sealed bags, had been intercepted by United States Customs and Border Protection and was searched.
The marijuana had been purchased by Zito and Schieppati from a source of supply in Canada and was intended to be distributed in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo areas. Investigators tracked the shipment and conducted a controlled delivery on August 7, 2020. Co-defendant Schieppati picked up the shipment and brought it to a motel in Niagara Falls. Zito, McTyere, and Schieppati were arrested, and investigators recovered $239,850 from a storage facility utilized by McTyere.
McTyere and Schieppati were previously convicted. The plea is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 27, 2021, before Judge Vilardo.
Zito’s plea is a significant blow to the marijuana trafficking ring, which had been operating in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo areas. The conviction highlights the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to combat marijuana trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.
Related Federal Cases
- Maximiliano Davila Perez, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York NY, 2023 · Indiana
- Tyrone Pennick, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Travis Beckley, Marijuana Smuggling Attempt, New York 2024 · New York
- Mario Urbina Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy, United States, 2023 · New York
- Maximiliano Davila Perez, Conspiring to Import Cocaine, New York 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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