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Press Release

Wilson Man Pleads Guilty To Drug And Gun Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kevin S. Wise, Jr., 33, of Wilson, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, being a user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

On September 6, 2020, Wise was arrested following a traffic stop on a domestic complaint for two counts of Aggravated Harassment. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at his two residences on Youngstown Road in Wilson, including vehicles located on the properties. During the searches, investigators recovered 23 firearms, 18,446 rounds of ammunition, ammunition, firearms parts, approximately 374 grams of marijuana, a quantity of MDA, psilocybin mushrooms, two digital scales, and $2,717.00 in U.S. currency. Law enforcement also located 11 marijuana plants and observed multiple trail cameras positioned throughout the back yard, woods, and location of the marijuana plants. Wise admits that, at the time of his possession of the firearms, he was an unlawful user of marijuana and methamphetamine.

On August 1, 2022, investigators executed another search warrant at one of Wise’s Youngstown Road residences in Wilson. Wise was on federal pre-trial release at the time of the search. During the search, law enforcement recovered seven additional firearms, approximately 3,692 rounds of ammunition, numerous firearms parts and accessories, drug paraphernalia and suspected marijuana and THC products. Wise was convicted of a felony in Niagara County  in October 2014 and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpinato.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.

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Contact

Barbara Burns

716-843-5817

 

Updated September 20, 2023

Topics
Drug Trafficking
Firearms Offenses