Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul announced today that Anthony Frazier, 27, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to a felony charge of conspiring to distribute cocaine. The plea charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $4,000,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. McCabe, who handled the case, stated that Fraizer conspired with others between late 2006 and early 2009 to distribute both powder and crack cocaine in the City of Buffalo. During this time frame, he worked with members of Buffalo’s "31 Gang" to obtain between 15 and 20 kilograms of powder cocaine. Frazier then reprocessed much of this cocaine by adding "cutting agents" to it or converting it into crack cocaine. He later distributed the crack cocaine across a network of customers from various communities in the region, including the Southtowns and Buffalo's far eastern suburbs. At the time of his arrest on February 26, 2009, law enforcement officials also found Frazier with a loaded nine millimeter handgun and over $3,400 in cash.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James H. Robertson.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 21, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. EST, in Buffalo, N.Y., in front of Judge Arcara.