ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jeffrey C. Civitello Sr., age 50, and Jeffrey C. Civitello Jr., age 22, both of Schenectady, New York, have been indicted for trafficking kilograms of cocaine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
The Civitellos are charged with conspiring with other men, including two New Jersey men indicted last year, to traffic more than 5 kilograms of cocaine to Schenectady in March and April 2021. The Civitellos are also each charged with possessing and intending to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine on March 31, 2021, and with attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine on April 2, 2021. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, each man faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as at least 5 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. The indictment also seeks a money judgment against the Civitellos in the amount of $600,000. 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.
Jeffrey Civitello Sr. was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart; a detention hearing is scheduled for June 3, 2022.
Jeffrey Civitello Jr. will be arraigned at a later date. He has been in custody since October 21, 2021, when he was arrested by the DEA in Schenectady on unrelated charges of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing and intending to distribute marijuana. Those charges are also merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes DEA Special Agents and investigators from state and local police agencies, including the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.