Buffalo Man Who Took Part In Drug-Related Murder Going To Prison For 20 Years For Drug Trafficking

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. announced today that Taire Chaney, 28, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between 2008 and March 9, 2012, the defendant conspired with co-conspirator Tyshawn Bradley and others to sell cocaine and crack cocaine in and around the Perry Housing Projects in the City of Buffalo. The defendant admitted that Brad Daniels was murdered in 2012 as a result of this conspiracy.

Specifically, the evidence developed in the investigation revealed that in the summer of 2010, Chaney and Bradley perceived that a rival drug dealer was encroaching on their territory as the rival began selling crack cocaine in the Perry Projects. Bradley confronted that rival over territorial dispute. On July 29, 2010, an associate of Bradley was shot and killed on Perry Street, and Bradley believed that the death was the result of the feud with the rival drug dealer. In the following months, Chaney, Bradley, and another co-conspirator followed and shot at the rival drug dealer. On February 29, 2012, they saw the rival drug dealer riding in a Cadillac Escalade, which was driven by Brad Daniels. Chaney, Bradley and the co-conspirator followed the Escalade as it dropped off the rival drug dealer and continued driving. After the Escalade stopped on Bardol Street in Buffalo, Chaney, Bradley and the co-conspirator approached the car. Chaney shot a .45 caliber handgun multiple times through the driver’s side of the Escalade, while Bradley shot a .45 caliber handgun multiple times through the rear and passenger side of the Escalade. The co-conspirator discharged a 9mm semi-automatic handgun through the rear of the Escalade. Daniels, who was driving the Escalade, suffered three gunshot wounds, and died. The investigation determined that one of the shots fired by Chaney resulted in Daniels death.

Chaney was previously convicted of manslaughter in the death of Anthony Pitts in New York State Court in 2012 and sentenced to serve 25 years in prison. He will serve his federal sentence following the completion of his state sentence. Tyshawn Bradley was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 30 years in prison.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.