10 Arrested in Major Narcotics Roundup on Buffalo’s East Side

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. and Special Agent in Charge of the of the New York Field Division United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) John P. Gilbride announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned three Indictments charging 10 individuals with various narcotics trafficking charges including conspiracy and distribution of crack cocaine in the City of Buffalo.

The first Indictment charges Anthony Avery, 44, Linda Johnson, 42, and Tyree Bishop, 31, with conspiring to distribute multiple kilograms of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life, a ten million dollar fine, or both. According to the Indictment, beginning in 2010, the defendants conspired to obtain cocaine from sources in Columbus, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. This resulted in the estimated distribution of over 75 kilograms in the Buffalo area for which the defendants paid $2,300,000.

Anthony Avery distributed much of the cocaine to members of the Camp Street Boys, a violent drug trafficking organization operating on the East Side of Buffalo. A second Indictment accuses Tramell McGee, 28, Jerome Brown, 38, Nikita Burt, 27, Terrell Moore, 30, Anthony Wilson, 30, and Kevin Battles, 44, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, a five million dollar fine, or both. The Indictment alleges the defendants distributed the cocaine and crack cocaine primarily in the Genesee/Jefferson area of the City of Buffalo.

A third Indictment charges Camp Street Boys member Dion Garrett, 32, with distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. If convicted, Garrett faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a fine of one million dollars, or both.

“This case again puts drug dealers and those who operate in gangs on notice – your days on the streets of our community are numbered,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Whether you traffic in narcotics, possess firearms for violence or drug dealing, or participate in the gang life, we will not rest until you are arrested and convicted.”

An additional person was also arrested this morning in connection with this investigation.

DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Gilbride stated, “The 'Camp Street Crew' has been dismantled. From the top to the bottom, law enforcement has successfully identified and unearthed their drug smuggling organization in order to rid our streets of cocaine and the violence associated with drug trafficking. DEA worked with our law enforcement partners to put Anthony Avery and Tramell McGee in jail along with their coconspirators for their illegal and dangerous alleged crimes that affected our community. The East side of Buffalo is a safer place because of law enforcement’s cooperation and these arrests.”

The Indictments are the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Dale Kasprzyk, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard W. Kollmar, Investigators with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Frank Sedita, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Anthony Palombo, the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gerald Gill and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lawrence Eggert.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.