Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To Heroin Charge

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Acting U. S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Dellsean Hamilton, 27, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that between March 2015, and February 29, 2016, the defendant conspired with Brittney Ridgeway and others to sell heroin. During the course of the conspiracy, Hamilton and Ridgeway regularly sold heroin, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl in the Buffalo and Cheektowaga areas. On March 25, 2015, Cheektowaga Police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Ridgeway, the defendant and a juvenile and recovered $2,315 in cash. Ridgeway was found with 141 envelopes containing nearly four grams of fentanyl. 

On July 15, 2015, the Erie County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit executed warrants at two residences linked to Hamilton. At 16 Dash Street, deputies seized drug paraphernalia, including wax envelopes commonly used to package heroin. At 75 Edison Street, they  seized approximately 2,000 wax envelopes containing approximately 50 grams of heroin, additional envelopes containing more than a gram of a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl, three firearms, and a digital scale.

Hamilton was arrested on state charges and while on bail, the defendant and Ridgeway continued their narcotics trafficking activities. On December 11, 18 and 23, 2015, Hamilton sold butyryl fentanyl to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cheektowaga Police Department. This resulted in a federal search warrant and arrest warrant. On January 11, 2016, the defendant was arrested and found in possession of a large amount of cash and baggies containing approximately a gram of fentanyl. Inside of Hamilton’s vehicle, which was occupied by Ridgeway, officers seized approximately $5,000 in cash. During a subsequent search of Hamilton’s residence at 1150 East Lovejoy in Buffalo, officers seized a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition.

While incarcerated on the federal charges, Hamilton continued his drug trafficking activities with Ridgeway.  Specifically, during a recorded jail call between the two, Hamilton instructed Ridgeway not to consent to the search of a residence again. Ridgeway then continued trafficking heroin as Hamilton had done prior to his incarceration. On February 4 and 11, 2016, Ridgeway sold butryrl fentanyl and fentanyl, respectively, to a confidential source working with DEA and the Cheektowaga Police Department.

Brittney Ridgeway has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.