Jose Orozco Acosta, age 22, of Bakersfield, California, was sentenced to serve 132 months in federal prison for possession of more than 65,000 fentanyl pills with intent to distribute. it’s close.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Special Agent in Charge of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division Frank A. Tarentino III, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the US DEA California Division Bob Beris, and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Acosta admitted that on April 4, 2022, he traveled from Bakersfield, California to a storage unit in Syracuse, NY. Acosta moved the contents of his storage unit, which included a black plastic tote, to another storage unit in the city of Syracuse. The black plastic tote Acosta was carrying contained more than 65,000 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 7.2 kilograms. The investigation revealed that Acosta was transporting fentanyl and other narcotics from his home in Bakersfield to drug dealers in the Central New York area for further distribution. As part of the investigation, several of the local dealers Acosta supplied were arrested in August 2022.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse, New York also ordered that Acosta serve a 5-year term of supervised release after his release from prison.
The NYSP Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (NYSP-VGNET) and DEA Resident Offices in Syracuse, New York and Bakersfield, California are investigating the case with assistance from the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, Auburn Police Department, Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office , United States Marshal Service, United States Army National Guard Counterdrug Program, Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, Cortland City Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and Kern County Probation Department. Assistant US Attorney Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case.
