Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Sean Christianson, age 45, of Manhattan, New York, pled guilty on Wednesday to possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Christianson admitted that on February 25, 2025, he traveled from the New York City area to Liverpool, New York, with twenty-two one-kilogram bricks of cocaine in his vehicle. Christianson intended to sell the cocaine in the Syracuse area. Law enforcement apprehended Christianson as he arrived in Liverpool.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Thanks to the investigative efforts of the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, another drug dealer and a huge quantity of narcotics are off the streets. Drug dealers will not get away with selling narcotics in the Northern District of New York.”
“Illicit drugs have no place in our communities,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “DEA New York remains steadfast in our commitment to working alongside our law enforcement partners to target those who poison our neighborhoods with dangerous narcotics.”
At sentencing, Christianson faces a prison term of at least 10 years and up to life, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
DEA investigated the case with assistance from the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Syracuse Police Department, and City of New York Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis is prosecuting the case.