Snye Man Facing 20 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone

(June 22, 2018) Robert Jon Lazore, 42, of Snye, Quebec, pleaded guilty on June 21 to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in Akwesasne, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York Grant Jaquith’s office.

As part of his plea, Lazore admitted that between 2008 and November 2012, he operated a drug trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone in the territory. He obtained 5,000 oxycodone tablets at a time from Canadian suppliers for distribution on the reservation, using at least 8 couriers and runners to coordinate the distribution of oxycodone to his customers, Jaquith said.

These couriers and runners included Carrie Lazore, Teri Jo Lazore, Travis Adams, Todd Edwards, and James Labarr. Robert Lazore regularly provided each courier with 100 to 200 tablets of oxycodone to sell to customers in both Canada and the United States, the U.S. attorney said.

In December 2017, Lazore was extradited from Canada to the United States following a term of imprisonment in Canada.

The couriers have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and received the following sentences: Carrie Lazore, 31, of Snye, 33 months; Terri Jo Lazore, 25, of Akwesasne, Ontario, 87 months; Travis Adams, 33, of Hogansburg, 78 months; Todd Edwards, 28, of Akwesasne, Ontario, 46 months; and James Labarr, 25, of Bombay, 46 months.

Robert Lazore faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least three years and up to life when Judge D’Agostino sentences him on Oct. 22, Jaquith said.

This case is the result of “close cooperative efforts” of HSI, led by the Massena Residence Office, in conjunction with CBP, DEA, and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, Jaquith said. These agencies worked closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Akwesasne Mohawk Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, and the Canada Border Services Agency, as well as U.S. Border Patrol, the New York State Police, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Canton Police Department, Potsdam Police Department, and Plattsburgh Police Department, according to the U.S. attorney.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe. Lazore was extradited to face charges in the Northern District of New York with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.