Buffalo man pleads guilty to meth charge

BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Julius M. Hatten, 36, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine. 

According to the plea agreement, on September 25, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants at an Eckhert Street residence, on the person of Julius Hatten, and on Hatten’s vehicle, seizing quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, ammunition, $21,740 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Erika Shields, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford. 

Sentencing is scheduled for October 5, 2026, before Judge Arcara.

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