BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tyrone Pennick, 48, of Amherst, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, maintaining a drug premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing cocaine, and for committing drug felonies while on conditions of pre-trial release, was sentenced to serve 310 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who handled the prosecution of the case at trial, stated that on November 17, 2016, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office conducted surveillance in the area of Pennick’s residence at 489 Emerson Drive in Amherst. Investigators observed a female leaving the residence carrying an open-top, tote style bag and entering a maroon colored Ford Flex. Investigators continued to monitor the vehicle and noted that Smith began watching the surveillance vehicle closely in the rearview mirror. Smith subsequently began driving in an erratic manor at which point the defendant was observed reaching to the backseat area and moving the tote bag to the front seat. Investigators activated their emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Smith was detained and investigators removed what appeared to be two containers containing suspected cocaine from the tote bag.
A search warrant was then executed at Pennick’s residence at 489 Emerson Drive. Investigators recovered a metal press, digital scale, packaging material, a box of rubber gloves, a plastic bag containing disposable dust masks, a vacuum sealer, and a vacuum sealed bag containing $49,990 in U.S. currency concealed in the dishwasher.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; and the United States Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert.
