United States of America v. Carlos Serrano, Jr., Sam Sierra, Jr., Carlos Melendez, Jr., Eban Sterina, Juan Sosa, Jose Laviena, Giovanni Serrano, Dusty Phakousonh

Rochester, New York criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with

Eight defendants charged with narcotics offenses

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that eight defendants were charged by indictment or criminal complaint for their roles in a narcotics conspiracy operating in the Rochester, NY, area, and other related offenses.



Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas T. Cooper, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictments and complaints against the nine defendants, who are all from Rochester, investigators executed 20 search warrants on 14 residences and six vehicles, seizing:



Approximately 2,678 grams of fentanyl



Approximately 692 grams of cocaine



Approximately 22 grams of crack cocaine



Approximately 31 pounds of marijuana



Approximately 168 grams of hash



Approximately 441 grams of K2 (synthetic cannabinoid)



Approximately 108 grams of suboxone



Six firearms



Drug paraphernalia



Approximately $100,000 in cash



Approximately $100,000 in jewelry



This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).



The indictments and complaints are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Ontario County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Cirencione, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer.