A major blow to the Utica drug trade was dealt yesterday, as Vennie Coleman, age 38, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that trafficked fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl in Utica from July 2018 through July 2019.
The multi-agency investigation began in March of 2017 and culminated in the federal arrest of Vennie Coleman on July 23, 2019, following the execution of several search warrants in Utica where drugs, cash, and other evidence was seized.
In addition to his prison sentence, Vennie Coleman was also sentenced to a post-incarceration term of supervised release of 4 years. The Court also directed the forfeiture of unrecovered assets Coleman acquired through the distribution of drugs consisting of a money judgment in the amount of $36,100.00.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The case was investigated by New York State Police-Special Investigations Unit (NYSP-SIU), Investigators from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, members of the City of Utica Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Beaty, Special Assistant United States Attorney Grant Garramone, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.
Vennie Coleman’s sentence brings an end to a long and complex investigation that involved multiple law enforcement agencies working together to take down a major player in the Utica drug trade.
The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Upstate New York, and the importance of continued collaboration between law enforcement agencies.
Related Federal Cases
- Maximiliano Davila Perez, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York NY, 2023 · Indiana
- Adam Sloan, Manslaughter by Fentanyl Supply, New York NY, 2025 · Kansas
- Tyrone Pennick, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Johanna Sanchez Rodriquez, Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, NY 2024 · Kansas
- Charles Newkirk, Heroin and Fentanyl Conspiracy, NY 2024 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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