Albany Man Sentenced for Marijuana and Gun Offenses

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Deandre Caldwell, aka “Dilli,” “Dillinger,” and “Dre,” age 34, of Albany, New York, was sentenced on July 29, 2026, to 97 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Farhana Islam, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Enforcement Division; and Anthony Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. In pleading guilty, Caldwell admitted to being a member of a marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) trafficking organization that cultivated marijuana on a commercial scale in Fresno, California, and shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region of New York. Caldwell received packages of marijuana shipped from Fast Pack & Ship at his apartment on Hudson Avenue in Albany. He sold the marijuana and THC edibles out of a “knock spot,” which is a location used to sell marijuana and THC edibles through a slot in the door. In searching Caldwell’s apartment on June 15, 2022, law enforcement discovered marijuana, THC edibles, digital scales, boxes from Fast Pack & Ship, and $15,941 in cash drug proceeds. The apartment also contained a .380 caliber handgun, which Caldwell possessed to protect his marijuana, THC edibles, and drug proceeds, including from potential robbers. Between June 2020 and May 2022, Caldwell received 66 packages containing approximately 306 kilograms, or 675 pounds, of marijuana. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Caldwell was engaged in a large‑scale drug trafficking operation that pushed hundreds of pounds of illegal marijuana and THC into communities across the country and into the Capital Region. This guilty plea is the direct result of the outstanding collaboration and tireless work of our law enforcement partners, whose efforts dismantled this operation piece by piece. Let this serve as a clear message to drug traffickers: if you push illegal drugs into our neighborhoods, we will find you, we will shut you down, and you will face the weight of the American justice system.” ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo said, “Drug trafficking and illegal firearms are a dangerous combination that threatens the safety of our communities. This sentence reflects the commitment of our law enforcement partners to identifying, investigating, and dismantling the criminal trafficking networks in our communities. We are grateful for the outstanding collaboration among ATF NY Albany, DEA NY, HSI NY and USAO NDNY.” “The sentencing of Deandre Caldwell reflects the consequences for those who choose to profit from operating a large-scale marijuana distribution network while arming themselves to protect their criminal enterprise” stated DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “Over the course of nearly two years, Caldwell received hundreds of kilograms of marijuana and THC shipped across the country from California and distributed those drugs throughout New York’s Capital Region. The recovery of a firearm, alongside narcotic and drug proceeds, underscore the dangerous connection between drug trafficking and violence. The DEA New York Enforcement Division remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking organizations at every level, protecting the Capital Region from those who threaten the safety of our communities.” Acting Special Agent in Charge HSI Buffalo Anthony Patrone said, “Deandre Caldwell turned an Albany apartment into a local outlet for a cross-country drug trafficking operation, moving hundreds of pounds of marijuana and THC while keeping a firearm on hand to protect his illicit business. His 97-month sentence reflects the seriousness of bringing large-scale drug distribution and firearms into our communities. HSI Albany is proud to stand with ATF, DEA, the Troy Police Department, and our federal prosecution partners, whose outstanding investigative work helped bring this case to justice.” Caldwell was charged in an indictment with Dwight A. Singletary II, David Singletary, and 22 other defendants charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Dwight Singletary and David Singletary, who were charged with similar crimes in a superseding indictment, have pled not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The 22 other defendants have all pled guilty. The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck, Dustin C. Segovia, and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.