Amsterdam man pleads guilty to fentanyl conspiracy

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Amsterdam man pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as selling fentanyl pills and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Samuel Payano, 24, pleaded guilty on Friday.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Payano admitted to conspiring with Bernardo Tovar to distribute fake oxycodone pills with fentanyl, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine from May 2022 to December 2022. The DOJ also says he admitted to distributing fentanyl pills with a gun on October 12, 2022, and he and Tovar had fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine with two firearms in their apartment on December 7, 2022, when their apartment was searched.

Payano will be sentenced on September 6 in Syracuse. He faces 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $5M, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least four years to life. Tovar previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.