District Attorney’s office wins civil forfeiture case

TROY, NY. >> Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel E. Abelove recently announced that the New York State Supreme Court has granted summary judgment to the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office for the civil forfeiture of all cash and physical property seized during the April 2015 arrest of Alexander Luciano.

Officials said on June 3, 2016, a jury convicted Luciano, 36, of two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree, both Class C felonies, as well as for three misdemeanors and a violation.

Abelove said the defendant was charged in an indictment stemming from an April 24, 2015 arrest.

Abelove said on that date, members of the Troy and Rensselaer City Police Departments executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence.

Officials said that inside detectives located 6.27 grams of heroin, 3.8 grams of MDMA, a large marijuana grow operation, as well as $12,386.00 in cash and other drug- related paraphernalia.

According to a news release, following Luciano’s exhaustion of all appeals related to his conviction, the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office commenced a civil forfeiture action pursuant to CPLR Article 13-A, against Alexander Luciano and his wife, Queyanna Luciano, for the proceeds and instrumentalities of Mr. Luciano’s illegal activities.

Abelove said the Court ruled that the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office met its burden of proof in the forfeiture action.

Luciano is currently housed at the Coxsackie State Prison for the convictions listed above, where he is serving an eight year sentence.

Abelove said in the release, “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute drug dealers, and to strip them of their illegal profits. This money will be used to strengthen law enforcement and prosecution efforts.”

Assistant District Attorney Jacob B. Shear argued this case Defendant: Alexander