Buffalo Man Convicted Following Jury Trail Sentenced On Drug And Gun Charges

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Isiah Pierce, 35, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted following a federal jury trial of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and butryl fentanyl, maintaining a drug involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities, and being a felon in possession of firearms and explosives, was sentenced to serve 168 months by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura A. Higgins and Paul E. Bonanno, who handled the case, stated that between November 2016 and December 1, 2016, Pierce and co-defendant Larry Willis utilized two apartments inside 70 Henrietta Avenue in Buffalo to manufacture, package, and store quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl, along with the proceeds for sale of such controlled substances. To protect their product and their proceeds, the defendants maintained multiple firearms and ammunition within each of the apartments.

During the execution of a search warrant in the lower apartment at 70 Henrietta Avenue, officers recovered crack cocaine, three firearms and ammunition, a digital scale with drug residue, packaging material, whisks, spoons, and cutting agents. A subsequent search of the upper apartment uncovered additional amounts of crack cocaine, a mixture of heroin and butyryl fentanyl, three handguns and numerous rounds of ammunition.

Defendant Willis was also convicted at trial and was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.