Buffalo Man Who Ran Cross-Country Drug Conspiracy Going To Prison For More Than 10 Years

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Antwan Hugley, a/k/a Twan; a/k/a Anthony Carter; a/k/a Juan Luis Rodriguez-Martinez; 42, of Atlanta, GA, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between 2010 and June 29, 2016, the defendant conspired with others to sell cocaine. Hugley obtained kilogram bricks of cocaine from Georgia and Texas for distribution in the Buffalo area and elsewhere. At various times in 2013 and 2014, the FBI seized cocaine from multiple individuals who purchased their cocaine from the defendant. Also in 2014, the defendant possessed a firearm while in a vehicle with his wife. It was Hugley’s firearm, and he possessed this firearm at other times during drug transactions.

In 2015 a Greyhound bus entered Canada via the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. Law enforcement officers searched a bag, which had originated in Atlanta, GA, found it to contain five kilograms of cocaine. The bag was intended for delivery in Buffalo and belonged to Hugley. A Greyhound employee in Buffalo reported that an unknown man came to pick up the luggage in Buffalo, but abruptly walked away when told “I hope your luggage wasn't the one with a lot of drugs.”

In 2016, Hugley was arrested in Orlando, Florida and found to have in his possession a driver's license with his picture in the name Juan Luis Rodriguez-Martinez. He also had a piece of paper with the social security number for Martinez and several credit/debit cards in that name. The defendant had a bank account in that name which revealed nearly $90,000 in and out of the account in about 15 months. The expenses were primarily related to hotels, planes, and rental cars in Houston, Atlanta, and Rochester, NY, which were locations associated with the Hugley’s drug-trafficking activity.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Stephen Belongia, Special Agent-in-Charge, and the Houston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Troy Finner.