Major drug traffic leaders get lengthy prison sentence for bringing fentanyl-laced heroin from New York City into the region

In a press release received on Friday, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the sentencing of the leaders of a major drug trafficking ring that distributed massive quantities of fentanyl-laced heroin and other narcotics from New York City throughout the Finger Lakes Region, including Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties.

Jose Polanco, also known as “Pito”, of New York City, was sentenced today in Tioga County Court to ten years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision, based upon his prior plea to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a class A-II felony.

Arthur Erskine, also known as “Wise”, was sentenced on March 8, 2018 in Tioga County Court to 12 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision, based upon his prior plea to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a class A-I felony.

According to the release, both defendants were sentenced by Tioga County Court Judge Gerald A. Keene.

“These sentences should send a clear message to those dealing death in our communities – we will find you and prosecute you,” said Attorney General Schneiderman, adding, “The opioid and heroin epidemic continues to devastate families and communities across New York, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to hold those responsible accountable.”

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Un-Wise”, included hundreds of hours of physical surveillance and wiretapping, as well as the execution of numerous search warrants in New York City, Ithaca and Tioga County.

During the course of the wiretapping, conspirators frequently utilized coded and cryptic terminology in an attempt to disguise their illicit narcotics trafficking, such as referring to the heroin that they were peddling as “movies.”

On March 12, 2017, members of nine different law enforcement agencies executed search warrants on eight different residences throughout New York State, including two locations in Manhattan, one in Queens, four in Tompkins County, and one in Tioga County. 

Among items seized during the execution of those search warrants included more than one kilogram of heroin, dozens of grams of cocaine, 14 handguns, one MAC-11 machine pistol, and narcotics-related paraphernalia.

In May 2017, a Tioga County Grand Jury handed up a 229-count indictment charging 31 defendants with crimes related to heroin trafficking. All individuals that were charged have now pled guilty, with the exception of the two defendants who are wanted on active arrest warrants.