NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced 14 people were indicted Wednesday after the takedown of a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking ring in Western New York.
The 129-count indictment was unsealed in Erie County Court Wednesday and accuses 14 people of trafficking more than $250,000 worth of cocaine and thousands of fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone across Erie and Niagara Counties.
The Office of the Attorney General said an 18-month investigation, which was called “Operation Big Eight Narco,” led to the seizure of around 1,440 counterfeit prescription “M-30” fentanyl pills, around one kilogram of cocaine, a loaded .45 caliber pistol, and more than $4,000 in cash.
“Keeping our streets and communities safe from dangerous drugs and violence is a top priority. Any drug operation that floods our streets with cocaine and fentanyl puts our residents at risk, but this operation was particularly dangerous because they disguised these lethal drugs as prescription pills. This takedown is part of our ongoing efforts to keep our neighborhoods safe and go after those who put New Yorkers in harm’s way. I thank our partners in law enforcement for their critical support and collaboration.”
The indictment charges the following 14 individuals with various crimes in connection to the trafficking operation:
- Tajine Benning, 48 years old, Niagara Falls, NY
- Ronnie Cason, 46 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Michael Clark, Jr., 23 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Melanie Duchnik, 40 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Anthony Fugate, 31 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Tevin Jeter, 30 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Devon Jones, a/k/a “Dutch”, 33 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Jasper Lewis, 34 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Negmarie Marcano, 40 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Michael McPhee, 36 years old, Lockport, NY
- Musa Ramadan, 36 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Eric Richmond, 36 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Charles Sims, 50 years old, Buffalo, NY
- Ronald Washington, 35 years old, Buffalo, NY
“I want to thank the Attorney General’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their vigilant hard work that has resulted in the indictment of these 14 dangerous individuals. The sale of these highly addictive drugs perpetuates a cycle of substance abuse which poses a significant threat to safety and quality of life within our neighborhoods. Yesterday's events send a strong message to dealers that we will not tolerate illegal drugs and weapons being brought into or sold in our communities.”
