An Oswego County man, James Hamilton, 42, was sentenced to a six-year prison term for his role in drug trafficking and associated firearms offenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York reported that Hamilton, from Central Square, admitted to distributing over four kilograms of cocaine and illegally possessing nine firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle as part of his criminal activities.
According to the press announcement, Hamilton's plea acknowledged his involvement in the drug trade from early 2021 until March 2022, during which time, he accumulated substantial amounts of cocaine for sale. He was also found in possession of multiple firearms intended to protect his illicit operations, and merchandise. Beyond the prison sentence, Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd mandated a 4-year term of supervised release upon Hamilton's release from custody.
"Cocaine is a dangerous and addictive drug, and James Hamilton distributed large quantities of it into his community for profit. He also possessed firearms in connection with his drug dealing that could have injured or killed other people,” Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III described the severity of Hamilton's crimes. DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III added that drug and gun trafficking "often results in acts of violence that endangers entire cities," as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The collaborative effort to bring Hamilton to justice involved the DEA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Syracuse Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe led the prosecution. The case also fell under an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, a multi-agency approach targeting high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.
