Smuggling raids seize 16 from WNY

Sixteen local residents (Buffallo, NY) were arrested early Wednesday as federal agents cracked down on what they call a persistent and growing problem—the sale of illegal Ecstasy pills smuggled from Canada.

The 16 were arrested in predawn raids, following an investigation by U. S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents, the State Police and other agencies.


The investigation showed that the international bridges in Buffalo and Niagara County are major trafficking routes for Canadian-made Ecstasy, and the problem appears to be growing, said Vincent J. Salvatore, assistant special agent in charge of Customs’ Buffalo office.


“There is a tremendous profit motive for Ecstasy trafficking, and a lot of the drugs are coming here from Canada,” Salvatore said. “The defendants in this case played different roles — some of them transporting it over the border, some of them selling it in the Buffalo area, and some selling in other cities.”


Police conducting the raids at 10 locations seized eight guns, $40,000 in cash and five vehicles, including three tow trucks.


Authorities said the tow trucks were seized from businessman Joseph Abbey of Preston Avenue, Cheektowaga, who is charged with felony drug conspiracy and was identified as a key player in the alleged drug ring. Police said Abbey was born in Ghana but is a lawful permanent resident of the United States.

Vivian James, of Stockbridge Avenue, Buffalo, also is alleged by police to be a major player. He, too, faces a felony drug conspiracy charge filed by the U. S. attorney’s office.


In recent years, bridge inspectors in the region have made some major seizures of Ecstasy from cars and trucks, including 111,000 tablets found inside the spare tire of a car crossing the Peace Bridge into Buffalo last September.


But authorities believe large amounts of Ecstasy are still smuggled over the bridges into Buffalo and Niagara County on a regular basis. Federal drug agents call Ecstasy one of the nation’s three most popular “club drugs,” saying it is often sold at all-night dance parties.


Salvatore declined to discuss the methods currently used for smuggling the drug, saying the investigation is continuing.


Assistant U. S. Attorney Mary C. Baumgarten worked on the case with Customs, State Police, U. S. Customs & Border Protection, the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo police and the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Police agencies from Canada also assisted.

Others charged with felony drug conspiracy counts:


David Blackwell of Downing Street; Dracey Gates of Potomac Avenue; Darryl “Keith” Robinson of Davidson Avenue; James T. Davis and Robert Wesley of Walden Avenue; Julian Russell of Harriett Avenue; Tamara Ward of Weber Avenue; Paul Warner of Dodge Street; Shamika Williams of Grey Street; Brianne Aguinaga of Center Road, Town of Tonawanda; Deborah Aguinaga of Walck Road, North Tonawanda; Jodi Tirado of Clinton Street, City of Tonawanda; Paula DeFazio of Slate Creek Drive, and Douglas Hunt of Sierra Drive, both in Cheektowaga.


Three out-of-town residents also were charged — Charles Mensah of Brooklyn, Felix Lawson of the Bronx and Derick Adjei of Chicago.