Federal prosecutors announced a bust Tuesday after authorities seized nearly 30 kilograms of cocaine, about $159,000 in cash and four guns in the Rochester area. Three Monroe County men now face federal charges tied to that investigation, and two of them also face firearm counts.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said 58-year-old Rodney Stanley of Greece, 36-year-old Leonardo Gaskin of Henrietta and 52-year-old Shanimba Nelson of Irondequoit were responsible for storing, packaging and distributing cocaine, and collecting payment for it, in the Rochester area. Nelson and Stanley were also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Michael DiGiacomo on the operation
DiGiacomo said, "These defendants crossed state lines to secure multiple kilograms of cocaine, storing them in stash houses embedded in our residential neighborhoods before pushing the drugs onto our streets." He also said, "Their arrests should send an unmistakable message: law enforcement at every level is fully unified and relentless in disrupting these operations and cutting off the flow of illegal narcotics into our community."
The case centers on an alleged cocaine trafficking operation in the Rochester area, with authorities saying the investigation involved storage, packaging, distribution and payment collection tied to the cocaine operation. That leaves a straightforward charging case and a narrower factual question: investigators say the men worked together, but they have not laid out the full basis for linking every part of the operation in public detail.
Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 searches
On Oct. 8, Gaskin's vehicle was seen traveling to the Philadelphia area, staying for about 15 minutes and returning overnight to his home. On Oct. 9, authorities executed a search warrant at Gaskin's home and on his vehicle and seized approximately 23 kilograms of suspected cocaine, three cellphones, $4,857 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
On the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at Nelson's home and seized approximately 146 grams of suspected crack cocaine and 3.677 kilograms of cocaine, along with $8,209 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a loaded shotgun. A search of Stanley's home uncovered a loaded pistol, approximately 1.23 kilograms of cocaine and $51,129 in cash.
Rodney Stanley and release
Gaskin was held following a detention hearing, while Nelson and Stanley were released on conditions. For Stanley, the case now moves forward with federal charges, firearm allegations and a release status that keeps him under court restrictions while the case proceeds.
Leonardo Gaskin and Shanimba Nelson remain tied to the same seizure record, but the public record here still does not spell out the full evidentiary bridge between the vehicle trip, the three searches and the conclusion that all three men shared responsibility for the cocaine operation.
