Niagara Falls man sentenced for selling cocaine

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ronald Rowles, 37, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of distribution of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that between December 2016, and June 13, 2019, Rowles sold cocaine in and around Lewiston, NY. In January 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing approximately 59 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. On June 13, 2019, while on federal pre-trial release, Rowles sold approximately an ounce of cocaine to an individual working with law enforcement.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.

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