Conviction Came After Year-long Narcotics Wiretap Investigation into Cocaine Trafficking in and Around Chester and Goshen
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Antonio Bucci, age 29, of Chester, was sentenced in Orange County Court to nine (9) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision relative to his guilty plea to Operating as a Major Trafficker.
The New York State Police, together with the Orange County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office engaged in a year-long investigation into cocaine trafficking in and around Chester. As part of the investigation, the District Attorney’s Office applied for permission to use and was granted court-ordered eavesdropping in the case. Subsequent search warrants were executed at residences in the Village of Chester and the Bronx which resulted in the recovery of over one (1) kilogram of cocaine, approximately $36,000 in United States currency and four loaded handguns. As alleged in charging documents filed in the Court, Bucci acted as a director of a controlled substance organization that sold cocaine and such sales exceeded $75,000 over a period of less than a year. Tyler and Lester Zaborski were alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to provide cocaine to be distributed in Orange County. Baltimore was alleged to also participate in the conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was in possession of loaded firearms during the execution of the search warrants. At the plea proceedings, Bucci admitted that he acted as a director of a controlled substance organization during any period of twelve months or less, during which period such controlled substance organization did sell one or more controlled substances, to wit: cocaine, and the proceeds collected or due from such sale or sales had a total aggregate value of seventy-five thousand dollars or more.
“Our community will be safer for the lengthy time this drug dealer will be behind bars,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “This case is yet another example of the benefits of cooperation and coordination amongst law enforcement professionals keen to disrupt the flow of narcotics into and around Orange County. My Office will continue to devote the necessary resources to ensure these cases deliver justice on behalf of the citizens of our county.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Janine Kovacs, who also aided in the investigation.
This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
