New Rochelle Drug Kingpin Sentenced In Federal Court

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — A New Rochelle man who led a drug trafficking ring from a downtown grocery store was sentenced to more than seven years behind bars.

Ulysses Lopez was sentenced on Wednesday to 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for leading a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed kilos of cocaine out of the SuperMercado Mexico, which he owned with his father, Valentino Lopez, who was also a co-defendant.

In addition to his prison sentence, the 41-year-old former drug kingpin was sentenced to four years of supervised release, as well as the forfeiture of $150,000 and a Mercedes Benz ML350.

“Today’s sentence sends a message that destructive drug trafficking in our communities will not be tolerated,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our neighborhoods free of addictive and dangerous narcotics.”

Strauss praised the work of the FBI and the DEA in helping to secure the conviction.

Lopez pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith McCarthy on August 27, 2020.

According to the indictment, Lopez, together with six charged co-defendants, conspired to distribute more than five kilograms of powder cocaine. Lopez was the leader and organizer of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

After being arrested, and while detained at the Westchester County Jail, Lopez encouraged one of his charged co-defendants, Felipe Barajas, to provide false statements to the government regarding their relationships and Barajas’s use of his residence to store cocaine for Lopez, according to prosecutors.

Six of the co-conspirators, including Lopez, his father and Barajas, have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. Lopez’s father was sentenced on June 25, to 60 months in prison for his role in the drug trafficking operation.

A seventh defendant remains a fugitive.