SYRACUSE — A man from the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty in federal court in Syracuse to selling drugs in Utica, while in the country illegally, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Jose Campusano, 38, a citizen of the Dominican Republican, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Brenda K. Sannes on Feb. 22 to one count each of distributing a controlled substance and illegally reentering the United States, authorities said. Campusano faces 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when he returns for sentencing on June 22.

Authorities said Campusano was deported from the U.S. in 2009, then returned at some point without permission. Campusano was living in the Utica area and sold cocaine to another person on six separate dates in 2022, authorities stated.