Rochester Man Sentenced on Drug Charges

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ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Frank Cavallucci, 39, of Rochester, N.Y., who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and a $1,000 fine by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that between August 2003 and December 2005, the defendant was involved with others in a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for trafficking between 50 and 150 kilograms of cocaine in the Rochester area. Cavallucci and other members of the organization traveled to Chicago, purchased multiple-kilogram quantities of cocaine from their Chicago-based suppliers, transported the cocaine back to Rochester, and then distributed it to mid and lower-level drug dealers. Among other methods, members of the organization utilized a 1993 Cadillac equipped with a secret compartment to transport multiple-kilogram quantities of cocaine and avoid detection by law enforcement authorities. In furtherance of the drug conspiracy, the defendant possessed a loaded .45 caliber handgun.

Algernon Toole, one of the Rochester-based members of the organization, and his brother, Everette Toole, a Chicago-based cocaine supplier, were convicted on drug conspiracy charges after a jury trial in February 2010, and were sentenced to 240 months and 204 months in prison, respectively. Lawrence Williams, another Chicago-based cocaine supplier, was also convicted of a drug conspiracy charge and sentenced to 262 months in prison, to be served concurrently with a 240-month sentenced imposed for a separate federal drug conspiracy conviction in the District of Wisconsin.

“This investigation and prosecution resulted in some significant sentences for the defendants involved,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “The case should serve as a warning that our Office will work vigorously with our federal partners to eliminate dangerous, even deadly, narcotics from the streets of our communities.”

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard.