Schuele Boys Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge

BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Demario Robbins, 24, of North Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, who is handling the case, stated that as an associate of the Schuele Boys Gang, the defendant purchased cocaine from co-defendant Michael Robertson. Robbins then repackaged the cocaine into smaller amounts for re-sale in the Buffalo area.

The Schuele Boys Gang, which operated in the Schuele Street area of the East Side of Buffalo, is believed to be responsible for multiple acts of violence and the distribution of illegal narcotics including cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana.

Robbins was arrested along with 16 other Schuele Boys Gang members and associates in July 2014. He is the second to be convicted. Aaron Glenn pleaded guilty on March 26, 2015. Also charged are:

    Antwan Garner, 29, Buffalo

    Jerome Grant, 33, Buffalo

    James Hicks, 44, Buffalo

    Xavier Hill, 42, Buffalo

    Demetrius Holmes, 23, Buffalo

    Damario James, 32, Buffalo

    Fred Johnson, 21, Buffalo

    Ikeem Lyons, 21, Buffalo

    Benjamin Peoples, 25, Buffalo

    Michael Robertson, 24, Buffalo

    Spencer Rogers, 50, Buffalo

    Antwon Steward, 31, Buffalo

    Shawntorrian Travis, 34, Buffalo

    Andre Wise, 36, Buffalo

    Marcel Worthy, 30, Buffalo

On March 24, 2015, an additional seven members and associates were indicted including:

    Eric Sears, 47, Buffalo

    Andre Jackson, 28, Buffalo

    Tyrell Skipper, 25, Buffalo

    Willie Griffin, 25, Buffalo

    Robert Brown, 52, Buffalo

    Samuel Walker, 50, Buffalo

    Tywone Smothers, 36, Buffalo

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.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force which includes representatives of the Amherst Police Department; the Buffalo Police Department; U.S. Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Cheektowaga Police Department; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department; the Hamburg Police Department; the Lancaster Police Department; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police; the New York State Department of Correctional Services; the New York State Police; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. Additional assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the United States Marshal Service, the Lackawanna Police Department, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department.

Montgomery Vermont Man Sentenced in Cross-Border Marijuana Trafficking Conspiracy

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont has stated that Roy “Opie” McAllister II, 39, of Montgomery, Vermont has been sentenced to prison for his role in a cross-border marijuana trafficking conspiracy. In September 2014, McAllister was convicted of two counts of tax filing false tax returns following a jury trial. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the marijuana conspiracy charge and the Court declared a mistrial. A retrial was scheduled for December 2014. On November 24, 2014, before the retrial against McAllister on marijuana trafficking charges, McAllister pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

McAllister has been ordered to serve 30 months in jail on each count of conviction, with the time periods to run concurrently. McAllister has also been ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release following his jail sentence. As a condition of his supervised release, McAllister has been ordered to file corrected tax returns and pay taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. McAllister will begin serving his jail sentence in April 2015.

McAllister, and his co-conspirator, Jeffrey Donna, have been described as kingpins in a marijuana trafficking business that began in the mid-2000s and continued until the two were arrested on May 29, 2013. The two defendants were responsible for bringing bulk quantities of marijuana across the Canadian border into northern Vermont for several years. According to the evidence of record, McAllister was responsible for between 1,000 and 3,000 kilograms of marijuana as part of the conspiracy. The marijuana trafficking has been characterized as a forprofit enterprise, in which McAllister made lavish expenditures using drug proceeds.

McAllister has been ordered to forfeit a home heating oil delivery truck used by McAllister Fuels, 115 Troy Street, Montgomery, Vermont, which the government alleged was bought with McAllister’s drug proceeds. He has also been ordered to forfeit more than 30 guns, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a Polaris ATV, a Chevy Tahoe, a Ford F-150 Harley Davidson edition pick-up truck, a GMC Yukon and expensive jewelry purchased during the time of the conspiracy. A forfeiture action against his residence of 2404 Regan Road, Montgomery, Vermont, is pending.

As part of the marijuana trafficking conspiracy, McAllister and Donna were assisted by Jesse Soule, 48, also of Montgomery, Vermont. Soule was convicted in January 2014 of his role in the marijuana trafficking conspiracy. According to court records, Soule participated in the conspiracy by storing bulk marijuana on his farm. Soule is currently in jail serving a 13 month sentence. He has forfeited $250,000 in drug proceeds to the government and a Polaris ATV. Kirt Westcom, 48, of Fairfield, Vermont, also has been convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He received bulk marijuana from Donna and McAllister at his farm on 262 Egypt Road, Fairfield, Vermont for several years. Westcom is currently in jail serving a 24 month sentence. Westcom has forfeited $135,000 to the government, as well as a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and a Ford F-350 pick-up truck.

Seven other individuals have pleaded guilty to federal crimes arising out of this drug enforcement action in Franklin County, Vermont. They are Jeffrey Baisley, 32, of Richford, Vermont, Jeffrey Tatro, Jr., 28, of Richford, Vermont, Robert Patterson, 55, of Richford, Vermont, Jonathan Palermo, 29, of Essex, Vermont, and Benjamin Pratt, 32, of Colchester, Vermont, who all have been convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Eric Jette, 32, of Enosburg, Vermont and Johnthan Aldrich, 34, of Richford, Vermont also have been convicted of federal drug charges.

The United States Attorney’s Office would like to thank the United States Border Patrol, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work in conducting this investigation. This investigation was also assisted by the United States Internal Revenue Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Ross. Roy McAllister II was represented by Peter Langrock, Langrock Sperry & Wool.

Sanford Felon Convicted of Firearm and Drug Offenses

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Eugene Chisolm (57, Sanford) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”) with the intent to distribute it. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison on the firearm count, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the drug count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 19, 2015. Chisolm was indicted on December 19, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, on March 13, 2014, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Chisolm’s residence in Sanford. During the search, agents recovered drug-trafficking quantities of crack cocaine and cocaine, along with digital scales and other equipment that had recently been used to manufacture the crack cocaine. Agents also recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson.40 caliber pistol. Chisolm was subsequently arrested and interviewed by agents. He admitted that he lived at the residence and that he had sold crack from there.

Prior to this incident, Chisolm had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including robbery, burglary, battery on a law enforcement officer, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, City County Investigative Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.