2 Utica Men Admit to Fentanyl Laced Drug Conspiracy

Two Utica men face years, possibly decades, behind bars after each admitted to his role in a conspiracy to sell fentanyl laces drugs in the area.

That's according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York who handled the cases, along with local authorities including the Oneida County District Attorneys Office, against Daequon Perkins and Mark Baker.

Perkins, 25, pled guilty on Thursday to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, and to distribution of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Perkins also specifically admitted to distribute the laced narcotics in the Utica-are in late May of 2021.

He faces a minimum of 5-years, and up to 40-years in prison, along with post-release supervision and a fine - which could total as much as $5,000,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

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Baker, 44, made a similar admission relating to the summer of 2021, as well as agreeing that he possessed 'a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, two 12-gauge shotguns, and multiple rounds of ammunition of various calibers, which he possessed in furtherance of drug-trafficking,' a news release on the guilty pleas said.

Bakes who faces a range of 15-years to as much as life in prison, already has a conviction for drug conspiracy charges dating back to 2010, for which he was sentenced to 27 months in prison, officials said.

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Each is due to be sentenced on August 10, 2022.

Utica, NY Police Department's Top Ten Most Wanted

The City of Utica Police Department in Utica, New York has released its Top Ten Most Wanted List for the month of February 2022.

Several of those listed have previously been featured in separate posts about individual crimes, on a previous wanted list, or as the Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers Wanted Person of the Week.

The reader is reminded that all persons, either suspected of or arrested in connection to, a crime, are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any of the individuals listed is asked to call police or the local Crime Stoppers.

The Utica Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division can be reached at: (315) 223.3510.

Calls, e-mail, and messages may also be left anonymously with Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers by calling: 1-866-730-8477 (TIPS), by visiting www.mohawkvalleycrimestoppers.com, or by using the P3 Tips mobile app. All information received by Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers is 100% confidential.