Chester Man Ran Drug Trafficking Ring In Orange County: DA

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — A Chester resident who admitted that he directed a drug ring in Orange County has pleaded guilty to operating as a major trafficker, District Attorney David Hoovler announced.

Antonio Bucci 29, pleaded guilty in Orange County Court under a plea agreement. The prosecutors will recommend that he be sentenced to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 13, Hoovler said.

The arrest came after a year-long investigation into cocaine trafficking in and around Chester by the New York State Police, together with the Orange County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office

As part of the investigation, the District Attorney’s Office applied for permission to use and was
granted court-ordered eavesdropping in the case.

Subsequent search warrants executed at residences in Chester and the Bronx resulted in the recovery of more than one kilogram of cocaine, about $36,000 in United States currency and four loaded handguns, Hoovler said.

Bucci acted as a director of a controlled substance organization that sold cocaine and such sales exceeded $75,000 over a period of less than a year. He was in a conspiracy with Tyler Zaborski and Lester Zaborski, Hoovler said. James Baltimore was alleged to also participate in the conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was in possession of loaded firearms during the execution of the search warrants, Hoovler said.

“This conviction, which is the 15th Operating as a Major Trafficker case handled by my Office, stands as a testament to our commitment to making and keeping our community safe,” he said. “I commend the New York State Police, the Orange County Drug Task Force, and other law enforcement agencies for working together with my Office during the course of this investigation. I will continue to prioritize and dedicate resources to long-term drug investigations to root out those individuals responsible for the trafficking of large quantities of narcotics in Orange County. We will use all of the legal resources available to us to conduct these investigations and bring these offenders to justice.”

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Janine Kovacs, who also aided in the investigation.