Violent Home Invasion Robbery Crew Member Sentenced To 272 Months For Conspiring To Commit Drug Robberies, Conspiring To Distribute Cocaine And Heroin, And Illegally Using A Firearm
Jury Convicted Defendant after Two-Week Trial
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Earlier today in Brooklyn federal court, Marcos Rodriguez, who committed a string of drug robberies and related crimes, was sentenced to 272 months of imprisonment. The sentencing proceeding was held before U.S. District Judge Sandra L. Townes. Rodriguez was convicted in July 2011 after a two week jury trial.
The sentence was announced by Kelly T. Currie, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Rodriguez was a member of a violent robbery crew responsible for more than 100 robberies of narcotics traffickers in the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere that netted more than 250 kilograms of cocaine and $1 million in drug proceeds. Beginning in approximately January 2001, crew members posing as law enforcement officers staged fake arrests of the traffickers and then forcibly seized the traffickers’ contraband. The crew members restrained victims with handcuffs, rope, or duct tape, often brandished firearms and physically assaulted victims, sold the stolen drugs, and divided the proceeds among themselves.
Rodriguez personally participated in at least 15 separate robberies and attempted robberies. He typically conducted surveillance, acted as a lookout, and helped to sell the seized narcotics. The robberies and attempted robberies in which Rodriguez directly participated involved at least 54 kilograms of cocaine, 1.3 kilograms of heroin, and approximately $60,000 in drug proceeds.
In announcing the sentence, Mr. Currie extended his grateful appreciation to the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprising agents and officers of the Drug Enforcement (DEA), New York City Police (NYPD) and the New York State (NYSP); and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sylvia S. Shweder, Alexander Solomon, and Claire Kedeshian are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant: -
MARCOS RODRIGUEZ
Age: 47
New York, NY
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 08-CR-(SLT)
