ALBANY, NY – The streets of Schenectady and Amsterdam are a little less flooded with poison today after two key players in a major heroin distribution network confessed to their crimes. Leamzy Soto Calderon, aka “Lee” and “Gordo,” 28, of Schenectady, and Gregory Insogna, 45, of Amsterdam, have both entered guilty pleas to federal conspiracy charges, bringing down a piece of the larger drug trade choking the region.
According to court documents, Calderon wasn’t just a street-level dealer; he was a linchpin in an operation that moved kilograms of heroin throughout Schenectady between 2017 and December 20, 2018. The feds say Calderon wasn’t shy about the volume – regularly collecting hundreds of grams of the stuff and then turning around to pocket thousands in dirty money. He wasn’t just moving the product; he was prepping it, mixing it with cutting agents, and packaging it for sale to a “large customer base.” A raid on his Schenectady residence in December 2018 turned up a stash of 268 grams of heroin, along with the tools of the trade – cutting agents and processing materials.
Insogna, meanwhile, acted as a regional distributor, taking the heroin supplied by Calderon and others and pushing it onto the streets of Amsterdam. He wasn’t getting his hands dirty directly, though. Insogna allegedly used couriers to both pick up the heroin from Schenectady and deliver the cash payments back to Calderon. This highlights the organized nature of the operation – a clear chain of command and a network of runners to keep the supply flowing.
United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, along with Kevin M. Kelly of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Keith M. Corlett, announced the guilty pleas Friday and today, respectively. The investigation involved a multi-agency effort, bringing in the DEA, ATF, and the Amsterdam Police Department. This wasn’t a solo operation; it was a coordinated takedown, and these convictions are a direct result of that collaborative effort.
The penalties facing these men are substantial. Calderon is looking at a minimum of 10 years and potentially life in prison, along with a minimum 5-year term of supervised release and a maximum fine of $10 million. Insogna isn’t faring much better, facing at least 5 years, up to 40 years behind bars, a minimum 4-year supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. However, the final sentence will be determined by a judge, taking into account sentencing guidelines and other relevant factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck is prosecuting the case, and the investigation remains ongoing. While these two convictions are a win for law enforcement, Grimy Times will continue to track this case and report on any further developments. The fight against the opioid crisis is far from over, and we’ll be here to expose the individuals and organizations profiting from misery.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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