U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Four Sentenced for Roles in Plattsburgh Heroin Distribution Conspiracy
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Touchstone, age 31, of Plattsburgh, New York; Melissa Kusalonis, age 37, of Plattsburgh; Anthony DeFilippo, age 37, of Schenectady, New York; and Luke Kiroy, age 34, of Saranac, New York, were sentenced yesterday and today for conspiring to distribute heroin.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Clinton County Sheriff David Favro.
Touchstone was sentenced to 84 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release; Kusalonis to 41 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release; DeFilippo to 46 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release; and Kiroy to 3 years of probation and a $1,000 fine.
As part of their guilty pleas, Touchstone and Kusalonis admitted to obtaining nearly a kilogram of heroin from Jimolo Coates, a.k.a. “Brodie,” in Annapolis, Maryland, and DeFilippo in Schenectady between June 2016 and May 2017, and selling the heroin in Plattsburgh. DeFilippo admitted to regularly providing Touchstone and Kusalonis with heroin in Schenectady, and Kiroy admitted to transporting heroin from Annapolis to Plattsburgh with Kusalonis.
Touchstone, Kusalonis, DeFilippo, and Kiroy were charged with six other people in two related indictments pertaining to a heroin-distribution ring that transported heroin from Annapolis and Schenectady and sold it in the Plattsburgh area. In addition to Touchstone, Kusalonis, DeFilippo, and Kiroy, five other defendants pled guilty and were sentenced as follows:
|
Defendant |
Sentence |
|
Jimolo Coates, a.k.a. “Lo,” Marlo,” “Brodie,” age 25, of Annapolis, Maryland |
188 months in prison, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release |
|
Tynaejah Thompson, a.k.a. “Naee,” age 20, of Annapolis, Maryland |
18 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release |
|
Kiara Scott, age 29, of Annapolis, Maryland |
3 years of probation, including 6 months of home detention |
|
Charles Adams, a.k.a. “Chuck,” age 33, of Peru, New York |
37 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release |
|
Travynn Ippolito, a.k.a “Trav,” age 30, of Plattsburgh, New York |
30 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release |
The tenth defendant, Danielle Conners, age 33, of Plattsburgh, was convicted at trial and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2019.
The convictions are the result of a nearly yearlong investigation led by the DEA Task Force in Plattsburgh, which consists of law enforcement officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Border Patrol, New York State Police, Clinton County Sherriff’s Office, Essex County Sheriff’s Office, and the Plattsburgh Police Department. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, as well as the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, assisted in the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Katherine Kopita.
Updated December 13, 2018
Topics
Drug Trafficking
Opioids
Component