A Houston man has pleaded guilty in federal court for his involvement in a major narcotics conspiracy. Norman Patillo, 45, admitted to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could result in up to life imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler, Donna Duncan, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, Patillo was involved in the operation from April 2023 through February 20, 2025. He transported cocaine from Texas—where it had been brought from Mexico—to various customers across the United States, including co-conspirators based in Buffalo, New York. In addition to delivering bulk quantities of cocaine, Patillo also collected drug proceeds from Buffalo and other locations for return transport to Texas.
Patillo was arrested in April 2025 along with six others: Winnie Taru Woods (also known as Ru), Sharron McCullough (also known as Black), Marlon Holt Jr. (also known as Scooter or Professor), Gary Sudesh Gosine Sr., Ian Dyer, and Shannell Gosine. Patillo is the first among them to be convicted. Authorities reported that on May 7, 2024, Ontario County Sheriff’s Office seized over nine kilograms of cocaine and more than three kilograms of pure methamphetamine during a traffic stop involving Marlon Holt.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative created by Executive Order 14159 aimed at protecting Americans against criminal organizations operating within the country and abroad. The HSTF brings together multiple government agencies—including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI—in an effort coordinated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
“The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad,” according to information released by authorities. “Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations under Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan; Drug Enforcement Administration under Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam; Ontario County Sheriff’s Office; Tennessee’s 23rd Judicial Taskforce; as well as HSI offices in New York City; Houston; and Austin.
Sentencing for Patillo is scheduled for August 14, 2026 before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
