BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tyrell McDuffie, 36, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha Coulson, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant maintained a residence on Wyoming Avenue in Buffalo to store and sell cocaine and crack cocaine to customers. On April 5, 2019, investigators surveilled the defendant as he conducted a drug transaction with a co-defendant outside of the Wyoming Avenue residence. Shortly afterwards, investigators stopped the co-defendant’s vehicle for a traffic violation and recovered an amount of a suspected crack cocaine. Investigators seized the co-defendant’s cell phone, which contained text messages from McDuffie setting up the drug transaction. In addition, on four different occasions between September 2018 and January 2019, McDuffie sold crack cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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