Oneida County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Firearm Offenses

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Leshawn Thomas, age 34, of Clayville, New York, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base and unlawfully possessing firearms. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.

As part of his guilty plea, Thomas, who had two prior felony convictions, admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute approximately 3.01 kilograms of cocaine and 268.14 grams of cocaine base in Oneida County, New York on or about April 28, 2023. He also admitted to possessing two loaded semi-automatic pistols.

Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes ordered Thomas to serve an 8-year term of supervised release to follow his release from prison, and also ordered the forfeiture of the semi-automatic pistols.

DEA investigated the case with the assistance of the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NY DOCCS-Parole). Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen J. Vickey prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.