A Worcester man has been convicted and sentenced to more than a decade in prison for trafficking drugs across state lines, Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said.
According to police, on March 13, 2024, members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force Group T-41 conducted surveillance on a Jeep Grand Cherokee belonging to Carlos Almonte Palmers, 45, of Massachusetts, as it traveled from Lawrence, M.A. to the Alexander Hamilton Travel Plaza in Secaucus, N.J. Shortly after arriving at the rest stop, Palmers pulled beside a large tractor-trailer and then left a few minutes later.
As Palmers drove into New York City and the Bronx, he was stopped by police near the Cross County Parkway exit in Yonkers. When investigators searched his vehicle, they discovered a large duffel bag loaded with rectangular objects, which the DEA laboratory ultimately identified as 20 kilograms of cocaine. The evidence produced at trial established that the Palmers had previously made similar same-day travels from Massachusetts to the New York City area.
Palmers was convicted of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree after a two-week trial in Manhattan Supreme Court on June 26. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison on August 5. He also received five years of post-release monitoring.
Palmers faced at least 12 years in jail as a predicate criminal.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan stated, “The sentence imposed in this case reflects the devastating impact of high-level narcotics trafficking.” Every year, thousands of people die in the United States as a result of cocaine-related overdoses, which are frequently accompanied by fentanyl and other lethal chemicals. Our agency and partner agencies relentlessly pursue and prosecute narcotics groups who make millions while jeopardizing the lives of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones.”
“This defendant attempted to flood our city with nearly 45 pounds of cocaine, but our interagency task force was there to stop him,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Our investigators tracked down the defendant’s car as he crossed state lines, and because of their diligent work, those drugs never made it to our streets. I thank our NYPD investigators and the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office for their commitment to identifying drug traffickers and working together to hold these criminals accountable.”
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