PLATTEKILL – An Ulster
County Court jury of five men and seven women, Friday, convicted Ricardo
Almenteros of Rochester of the two felony counts of criminal possession
of a controlled substance following two hours of deliberations.
Almenteros was arrested after a traffic stop on the northbound Thruway
in the Town of Plattekill. A State Police K-9 located 2.8 pounds of cocaine
in brick form hidden in the air intake compartment of the engine. The
brick had an identifying mark of “OSO” (“bear”
in Spanish), which is believed to belong to a high-ranking member of the
Sinaloa Cartel in Culiacan Mexico.
Almenteros has a 2011 federal felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute
cocaine.
When sentenced in August, he faces up to 24 years in state prison as a
second felony offender.
Almenteros’ two sons – Ricardo E. Almenteros, 19, and Edward
Pearce, 23 – were in the car with him. Ricardo E. Almenteros was
driving with a suspended license.
Prior to trial, the two sons pled guilty to the lesser charges of criminal
possession of a controlled substance and are awaiting sentencing.
District Attorney Donald Williams said each of the sons admitted knowledge
of the cocaine found in the car and implicated their father during their
allocutions. Pearce also admitted that his father had “drug”
debts and that the sons were being groomed to take over his distribution
business.
