Department of Justice

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Emmanuel Medina, age 35, of Albany, was indicted last week for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition, possessing and intending to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf.

According to an indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, Troy Police Officers responded to a domestic disturbance call in the early morning of June 27, 2022, and observed Medina outside of a house, placing something into a doorless Jeep Wrangler. Medina was initially not compliant with officers’ directives, but eventually stepped away from the vehicle and was safely detained.

Officers found a loaded Hi-Point Firearms .380 ACP pistol in the part of the Jeep where Medina had just been observed. Medina was prohibited from possessing the handgun and ammunition as a result of prior felony convictions. Additionally, Troy Police Officers located a black box magnetically attached to the vehicle’s undercarriage, which was found to contain a mixture of heroin and fentanyl stored in 350 small bags intended for resale.

The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Medina has been in custody since his arrest on June 27, and will be arraigned at a later date. If convicted on all charges, he faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison, and at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the Troy Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.