Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced on Drug, Firearms Charges

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Luis Abril, 31, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit two handguns and numerous rounds of ammunition seized during the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that Abril was a member of a Rochester-based drug conspiracy led by Raymond Collazo, in which large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin were processed, packaged and resold in various quantities in Rochester. Abril and Collazo utilized multiple locations, including 617 Ridgeway Avenue in Rochester to store, process and distribute the narcotics, and armed themselves while doing so.

On April 24, 2014, Abril, Collazo and others were arrested following the execution of multiple search warrants in Rochester, as well as Collazo’s residence in Orlando, Florida. Abril and Collazo were taken into custody at 617 Ridgeway Avenue, where officers seized over 12 grams of cocaine packaged for sale, 200 grams of heroin, three loaded handguns, one of which was stolen, dozens of rounds of ammunition, $2,466 in U.S. currency, and paraphernalia for processing, packaging, and distributing cocaine and heroin.

Charges are pending against Collazo. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and included involvement by the part of Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Division, Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Sandra Doorley.