Haitian National Found Guilty of Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

Djosaha Azulphar a/k/a "T," age 28, a Haitian national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, has been found guilty of distribution of controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance following a four-day jury trial in federal court in Syracuse last week.

First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Farhana Islam, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), made the announcement.

Evidence presented during the trial proved that on April 14, 2026, Azulphar distributed 50 grams of cocaine and 30 pills purported to be ecstasy to an informant working with the DEA in Plattsburgh, NY. On April 21, 2026, Azulphar met with the informant in Plattsburgh to distribute over three kilograms of purported ecstasy. Azulphar's co-defendant, Deontae Alexander held the pills across the street while Azulphar negotiated with the informant. Azulphar and Alexander were both arrested that day. Lab testing later determined the pills were not ecstasy but were methamphetamine.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, "This case highlights the dangers of selling, buying, and using illicit drugs. Azulphar represented he was selling ecstasy that was to be distributed to college students, but in fact the pills were highly addictive methamphetamine. When it comes to illicit drugs, one does not know what they are really putting in their body."

"Drug traffickers who disguise dangerous substances as something other than what it is, and push them toward college students, are playing Russian roulette with young people's lives" stated DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. "The pills Djosaha Azulphar sold were marketed as ecstasy but really contained highly addictive methamphetamine. This verdict should serve as a warning to anyone who looks to profit from deception and poison; the DEA will find you, dismantle your operation, and hold you accountable. While there are no guarantees in the illicit drug market, just one pill, one bad decision, can have devastating consequences."

Azulphar will be sentenced on January 5, 2027, by United States District Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe, who presided over the trial. The conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute charges of conviction against Azulphar carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Azulphar's co-defendant, Deontae Alexander, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is to be sentenced by Judge Coombe on November 10, 2026, and faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years.

This case was investigated by DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer prosecuted the case.