Juan Correa, Jr., a 31-year-old resident of Syracuse, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison. The sentencing follows his conviction for money laundering and conspiring to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine. This announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
Correa admitted to conspiring with others from May 2024 through July 2024 to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County. He also confessed to collecting proceeds from these sales and sending them to his supplier in Puerto Rico for further purchases.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby ordered Correa to serve an additional five-year term of supervised release after his imprisonment. Other defendants in the case, including Juan Correa, Sr., Ashley Correa, and Alex Calcano-Carrasquillo, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III commented on the case: “This prosecution of a cocaine trafficking and money laundering organization was made possible by the close collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies up and down the East Coast.”
Frank A. Tarentino III emphasized the impact of this operation: “The sentencing of Juan Correa Jr., who knowingly distributed cocaine throughout Onondaga County… is a result of the collaborative efforts DEA New York and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals pushing this poison into our communities.”
Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation New York added: “Mr. Correa brought a highly addictive drug to be moved through towns from here to Puerto Rico… IRS-CI New York remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners.”
Ketty Larco-Ward from the United States Postal Inspection Service stated: “The successful prosecution of this case should serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to exploit the mail.”
Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of Syracuse Police Department (SPD), highlighted the cooperation among various agencies: “This conviction is another prime example of the outstanding collaboration we have between local, state and federal partners.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Syracuse Police Department with Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown prosecuting.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal networks using a multi-agency approach.
