Rome man sentenced for role in drug ring

ROME, N.Y. » A Rome man has been sentenced to more than 15 years behind bars for his role in a drug distribution ring.

Eugene James, 34, of Rome, N.Y., was sentenced Thursday to serve 188 months incarceration in connection with his guilty plea to federal drug trafficking charges, said United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the New York Division. James will also serve a termof supervised release of eight years following his release from prison, and will forfeit a money judgment of $90,000.

As part of his guilty plea, James admitted that, for more thana year from2016 into 2017, he was involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine in Oneida County. He admitted that he, and others working at his direction, made multi- ple trips to drug suppliers in NewYork City and Long Island; and that on other occasions, the defendant’s suppliers traveled to the Utica area to deliver drugs to James.

In total, James trafficked multiple kilograms of cocaine, as well as additional quantities of heroin and crack cocaine.

This case was inves- tigated by the DEA, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department, the City of Rome Police Department, and the Utica Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.