United States Drug Enforcement Administration

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – United States Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Joseph Delisio, 47, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant sold heroin between Sept. 29, 2017, and April 11, 2018 to individuals working with the DEA. Delisio was arrested on April 11, 2018, following a vehicle stop. The defendant had approximately $34,650 in cash in his possession, and officers found a bottle in the vehicle containing residue of suspected heroin, scales which are commonly used to process narcotics for distribution, and a .22 caliber Ruger handgun.

During a subsequent search of Delisio’s residence, officers recovered three more firearms and ammunition. The defendant was previously convicted in Wayne County Court in 2013 of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree; in 2009 of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree; and in 2002 of Burglary in the Third Degree. As a result, Delisio is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. 

The plea is the result of an investigation by the DEA Rochester Resident Office and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2019, at 4:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.

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