BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nine people were indicted for sex trafficking and drug conspiracy Thursday after the U.S. Attorney's Office said they conspired to make and sell fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine out of two homes in Buffalo.
A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment naming seven people from Buffalo, one from Tonawanda, and another from Fairburn, Georgia.
Members of the Erie County Sheriff's Office and the Buffalo Police SWAT Team executed a search warrant at 143 Grote Street early Thursday morning.
Seven of the nine individuals were arrested without incident said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belongia during a news conference. He added that two defendants were already in custody.
Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said law enforcement recovered, 5 illegal handguns, 5 ounces of cocaine, and a half-ounce of fentanyl from the home.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas T. Cooper and Aaron J. Mango, who are handling the case, said that the indictment alleges that between June of 2020 and October of 2021, the defendants used 60 Liddell and 454 Davey streets to house their illegal drug operation.
During that same time period, eight of the defendants (Lairon Graham, Kimberly Udrea, Jordan Davis, Johnny Williams, Jamie Washington, Patrick Schrecengost, and Anthony Graham) are accused of conspiring to entice a victim to engage in commercial sex acts using force and threats of force.
Another defendant, Lairon Graham, also allegedly forced two other victims to engage in sex trafficking, including taking one of the victims to Pennsylvania to engage in commercial sex acts the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Graham is also facing a weapons charge.
- Lairon Graham a/k/a Shah a/k/a Uncle Shah a/k/a Unc – 64, Buffalo, NY
- Kimberly Udrea – 34, Buffalo, NY
- Thomas Degree a/k/a Tommy – 57, Fairborn, GA
- Joseph Ward – 58, Buffalo, NY
- Jordan Davis a/k/a Little Corn a/k/a Baby Corn – 26, Tonawanda, NY
- Johnny Williams a/k/a Double R – 29, Buffalo, NY
- Jamie Washington – 29, Buffalo, NY
- Patrick Schrecengost a/k/a Country – 41, Buffalo, NY
- Anthony Graham a/k/a Uncle Tony – 69, Buffalo, NY
Each defendant is presumed innocent of the crime they're accused of until proven guilty.
A tenth individual, D'Angelo Allen was arrested following the raid and is set to be arraigned in Buffalo City Court Friday morning. Allen is expected to face weapons and drugs charges according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
Narcotics conspiracy carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of life for defendant Lairon Graham, and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the remaining defendants.
Sex trafficking carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.
The indictment was the result of an investigation by SFA the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Buffalo Police Department, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, the Lancaster Police Department, and the Lackawanna Police Department.