CONTACT:  Barbara Burns

PHONE:         (716) 843-5817

FAX #:            (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jermelle Cotton, 38, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was arrested on March 30, 2018, after law enforcement officers executed search warrants at two homes in Rochester associated with Cotton – 118 Northview Terrace and 466 Post Avenue. During the search at 118 Northview Terrace, officers recovered approximately 103 envelopes of fentanyl, 35 baggies of cocaine, a 9mm handgun and ammunition, and approximately $6,755. At the Post Avenue residence, officers found another firearm and an additional quantity of narcotics, including approximately 76 baggies of cocaine, 150 envelopes of fentanyl, and 148 bags of heroin.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Heroin Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Todd K. Baxter, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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