SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – DeAndre Peterson, age 23, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Kenton T. Buckner, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department.
In pleading guilty, Peterson admitted that on November 8, 2018, he possessed several bags of crack cocaine totaling less than 2.8 grams and that he intended to distribute that cocaine to customers in the city of Syracuse. Peterson was arrested that day in connection with an enforcement operation targeting drug distribution in the city of Syracuse after he sold crack cocaine to a man named Damion Anderson, who then re-sold the crack cocaine to an undercover police officer. Anderson previously pled guilty to his role in conspiring with Peterson to distribute crack cocaine and was sentenced last month to serve 12 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Peterson will be sentenced on October 30, 2019, by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, who presides over the case. Peterson faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a supervised release term of between 3 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the Syracuse Police Department with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.