Department of Justice

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles J. Whorley, age 35, formerly of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, and for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli.

In pleading guilty, Whorley admitted to distributing a fentanyl mixture on several dates in June 2020, and to possessing 94 grams of fentanyl and 77 grams of cocaine base, which he intended to distribute, at his residence in Schenectady, on June 25, 2020. Whorley, a previously convicted felon, further admitted to possessing three loaded handguns at his residence to protect drugs and the cash generated from drug sales.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered that Whorley serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.

This case was investigated by the NYSP and ATF with assistance provided by the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.