Schenectady Man Charged with Distributing Fentanyl and Xanax

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Omar Alaidrus, age 23, of Schenectady, New York, was charged today with distributing controlled substances.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General Northeast Region (USDA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office; and Schenectady County Sheriff Dominic Dagostino made the announcement.

According to a criminal complaint, on March 29, 2023, a police officer, posing as a customer, went into the deli and grocery in Schenectady where Alaidrus was working behind the counter.  Alaidrus used the officer’s electronic benefits card to record a purchase of $201.15 using what are commonly known as “food stamps,” removed $100 from the cash register, kept that cash, and gave the officer fentanyl pills and Xanax. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The charge filed against Alaidrus carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Alaidrus appeared today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 17, 2024.

USDA-OIG, HSI, the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office, the Schenectady Police Department, and the New York State Police are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.