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April 12, 2018Buffalo, NY, United StatesNarcotics

Transnational drug investigation results in 4 Buffalo-area arrests

Search warrant recovers, cash, cocaine, and more than 200 lbs of marijuana

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Four Buffalo-area residents were arrested April 12 in connection with an alleged transnational drug trafficking operation. The arrests follow an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST), and the Buffalo Police Department

Late last week, authorities arrested Alexander Ruof-Brown, 26, of Buffalo. He was charged with felony counts of criminal possession of a narcotic with intent to sell, criminal possession of a narcotic, and criminal possession of marijuana. The defendant is also charged with 10 misdemeanors including unlawful fleeing a police officer, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, obstruction of governmental administration, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. He is also charged with four vehicle and traffic law violations including not seat belting a rear passenger less than 4-years-old, failing to use a car seat, and failing to use a seatbelt for the child in the rear seat.

Three additional suspects were subsequently arrested in the action including David Hardware, who was in possession of hundreds of pounds of marijuana, as well as a large amount of U.S. Currency. He is charged with a felony count of criminal possession of marijuana. In a subsequent enforcement action, authorities discovered approximately fifty pounds of marijuana at an additional residence and arrested Wendy Hall, 24 of Jamaica, and Deshawn Whims, 32, also from Jamaica. Hall and Whims are each charged with a felony count of criminal possession of marijuana – the highest marijuana possession charge in New York. These two defendants were in the United States illegally and face removal proceedings following the criminal case.

All four defendants are held at the Erie County Holding Center pending their arraignment in Buffalo City Court.

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