Utica Man Sentenced in Marijuana Conspiracy

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Angelo Santalucia, 50, of Utica, New York was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby to serve a twenty-seven (27) month term of imprisonment, to be followed by four (4) years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.  The sentence followed his May 10, 2016 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

As part of his guilty plea Santalucia admitted that between January 2011 and August 2015 he received boxes of marijuana in Utica, New York, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. The marijuana was grown in Northern California and moved through “stash houses” in Las Vegas, Nevada before being mailed to Santalucia.  At the direction of coconspirators, Santalucia delivered the marijuana to others in the Utica, New York area for further distribution and sale. Santalucia also admitted that he sometimes paid others to receive the boxes of marijuana on his behalf.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl G. Eurenius and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Oneida County ADA Grant J. Garramone.