Jury convicts man of cocaine conspiracy
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division and U.S. Attorney James Kennedy, Jr. announced that a federal jury convicted Richard Lucas, 34, of Williamsville, N.Y., of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and an $8,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Emmanuel O. Ulubiyo, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on May 15, 2017, investigators had search warrants for co-defendant Dominic Daniels and his vehicle. On that day, investigators were conducting surveillance and saw Daniels leave the Comfort Suites, in Cheektowaga, N.Y., with a blue bag and get into a white pick-up truck. After investigators observed Daniels meet with an individual on James Street in Buffalo and engage in what appeared to be a narcotics transaction, Daniel’s vehicle was stopped and was searched. The search revealed approximately 744 grams of cocaine, a hotel key for a room rented by the defendant at the Comfort Suites, and approximately $16,000 in United States currency.
During a subsequent search of the hotel room rented by the defendant, investigators seized approximately $33,000. Following Daniels’s arrest, Lucas arrived at the Comfort Suites, driving a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette. When he was approached by Erie County Sheriff’s deputies, he refused to comply with commands, resisted arrest, and then led one of the deputies on a chase through several parking lots, where he tried to carjack three vehicles. The defendant was eventually taken into custody at the intersection of the Kensington Expressway and Genesee Street by the sheriff’s deputy and federal law enforcement officers. At the time of his arrest, Lucas was in the possession of nearly $70,000 in jewelry. Evidence presented by the Government at trial established that the defendant was obtaining cocaine from Houston and distributing it to customers in the Buffalo area. Co-defendant Dominic Daniels was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The verdict is the result of an investigation by the DEA, Buffalo Resident Office; Homeland Security Investigations; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the New York State Police.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, who presided over the trial of the case.
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