GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (WRGB) — A Guilderland man is set to spend more than seven years behind bars, after pleading guilty to charges stemming from accusations that he robbed a marijuana dealer at gunpoint.
Alexander G. Madera, 21, was sentenced Friday to 85 months in prison, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY).
As part of his plea, prosecutors said that Madera admitted to entering a single-family residence in Guilderland on Jan. 23, 2022, at approximately 5 a.m., with the intent of robbing a marijuana dealer. After entering the residence, Madera reportedly robbed the dealer of $172 in drug money at gunpoint in the dealer’s bedroom, which another individual, Jorge Rosario, remained on guard in the living room. Before they could leave the residence, however, Madera and Rosario were attacked and disarmed by residents in the home. According to a release, they were then restrained until police arrived and arrested them. Prosecutors said that Madera and Rosario have remained in custody since that time.
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According to a release, Rosario also pled guilty, and will be sentenced on July 9, with a recommended prison term between 168 and 188 months.
In New York State, individuals aged 21 and older are permitted to possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis flower and 24 grams of cannabis concentrate, per the Office of Cannabis Management. Moreover, while it is legal to share cannabis within the possession limits, or give it away, to those 21 and older, it is illegal to trade, barter, or gift cannabis to someone in exchange for something else. This includes “gifting” cannabis while selling something else, such as a t-shirt or sticker. Authorities did not indicate whether there would be legal implications on the part of the dealer in this case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Town of Guilderland Police Department investigated this case, with the assistance of the Albany County District Attorney’s Office.
