Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Elijah Chaffino, of Tempe, Arizona, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge William Skretny to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated between 2009 and January 2012, the defendant and others conspired to traffic in narcotics between Arizona and the Buffalo area. Chaffino mailed packages containing marijuana from Arizona to several locations in Buffalo. The packages contained at least 80 kilograms of marijuana (the equivalent of more than 160 pounds).

The defendant was arrested along with four others in February 2012. Chaffino is the first defendant to be convicted.

The Indictment is culmination of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Wilbert L. Plummer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero; Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charles R. Pine; United States Postal Service Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Robert Bethel; Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda; Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Tim Howard; Niagara Frontier Transit Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast; Tempe, Arizona Police Department; Apache County, Arizona Sheriff’s Department; and Oklahoma State Police.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 28, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.

Members of Arizona to Buffalo Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging members of an alleged drug trafficking conspiracy with supplying large amounts of cocaine and marijuana from Arizona to the Buffalo area. Two of the defendants are also charged with money laundering. The narcotics charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of life, a $10,000,000 fine, or both, while the money laundering offense is punishable up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The charged defendants are identified as Jordan Ali, formerly of Alden, N.Y, but now residing in Tempe, Arizona; Shane Grafman, of Prescott, Arizona; Jason Nati, of Buffalo, N.Y.; Elijah Chaffino, of Tempe Arizona; and Jacquelyn Witman, formerly of Buffalo, N.Y., but now residing in the Atlanta, Georgia area.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, the Indictment alleges that between 2004 and February 2011, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. The defendants are alleged to have obtained the narcotics in the State of Arizona, and to have thereafter utilized several methods to send the marijuana and cocaine to the Buffalo area, including cars, trucks, shipping crates, and United States Postal Service parcels.

During the course of the conspiracy, law enforcement seized approximately $1 million in United States currency, including $671,385 from a hidden compartment within a Honda Ridgeline driven by Shane Grafman; $21,150 seized from Jacquelyn Witman at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport; and $299,950 from a vehicle located in Apache County, Arizona.

The investigation culminated in Jordan Ali’s arrest, on January 31, 2012, in Buffalo, when he arrived to collect money for marijuana the group had recently shipped to Buffalo in United States Postal Service parcels. Law enforcement agents had intercepted and seized these parcels prior to the marijuana being distributed in the Buffalo area. Elijah Chaffino was arrested this week in Arizona. The remaining defendants have not been arrested as of yet and are at large.

Defendants Jordan Ali and Shane Grafman are also charged with money laundering conspiracy.

“This case is yet another example of the exceptional skill and team work of this area’s law enforcement community,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “In this case, substantial quantities of narcotics were recovered before they could reach our streets. The fact that authorities also seized almost one million dollars in suspected illicit proceeds means that the possible profit from these crimes has also now been removed from those who engaged in the offenses.”

The Indictment is culmination of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Wilbert L. Plummer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero; Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of under the direction Special Agent in Charge Charles R. Pine; United States Postal Service Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Robert Bethel; Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda; Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Tim Howard; Niagara Frontier Transit Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast; Tempe, Arizona Police Department; Apache County, Arizona Sheriff’s Department; and Oklahoma State Police.

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.

11 Arrested in Major Narcotics Roundup

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned an Indictment charging 11 defendants with various narcotics trafficking charges including conspiracy and distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine.

The Indictment specifically accuses Charles Palmer, 47, of Buffalo, N.Y.; George Krajas, 42, of Sloan, N.Y.; James Simmons, 37, of Machias, N.Y.; William Bart Alexander, 46, of Tonawanda, N.Y.; Timothy Borkowski, 54, Of Buffalo, N.Y.; Christopher Carluccio, 36, of Buffalo, N.Y.; Michael Smerka, 54, of Buffalo, N.Y.; Aleathea Stone, 39, of Buffalo, N.Y.; Vunnal Blair, 56, of Buffalo, N.Y.; Gregory Miller, 46, of Buffalo, N.Y.; and Charles Palmer, Jr., 27, of Buffalo, N.Y.; of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and hydrocodone. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $10,000,000 fine.

Charles Palmer and George Krajas are also charged with distributing cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. In addition, Palmer and Krajas are charged with maintaining a drug involved premises, carrying a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

The Indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana in Buffalo and Cheektowaga. The Indictment further alleges that Palmer and Krajas used an auto body shop at 2307 Broadway in Sloan for the purpose of storing and distributing their narcotics.

“Today’s action marks the second significant law enforcement operation this week targeting those who would poison our neighborhoods with illegal narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “As these actions make clear, law enforcement will not rest until all who engage in such crimes are arrested and prosecuted.”

The Indictments are the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard W. Kollmar, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John P. Gilbride, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Frank Christiano, the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Acting Marshall Bryan Matthews, the NYS Police under the direction of Major Christopher Cummings, the NYS Division of Parole, Investigators of the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Frank Sedita, the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard, the Erie County Probation Department, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack, the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Gehen, and the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of John Askey

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.