Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Alvin Boone, II, age 30, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Boone admitted that: he and another person conspired to distribute fentanyl and cocaine throughout the Capital Region; he directed his co-conspirator to store over 25,000 fentanyl pills weighing over 3 kilograms, two handguns, ammunition, and several hundred grams of cocaine in a storage unit and at her home; he personally distributed fentanyl and directed his co-conspirator to do the same; and, before this conspiracy, he personally possessed over 1.4 kilograms of cocaine and a pistol in a safe in his home on July 28, 2023. Law enforcement seized these narcotics, firearms, and ammunition from Boone and his co-conspirator in its investigation. Boone also admitted that after his arrest, he instructed another individual to dispose of additional fentanyl pills.
Boone faces a minimum term of 15 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on May 30, 2025, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Colonie Police Department, Schenectady Police Department, and New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting the case.