Former Niagara Falls Police Officer Sentenced on Drug, Firearms, and Civil Rights Charges

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr., announced today that Ryan Warme, 28, of Niagara Falls, was sentenced to 165 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara after pleading guilty to deprivation of civil rights under color of law, using and carrying his Niagara Falls Police Department-issued pistol during a drug transaction and conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of crack cocaine. Prior to sentencing, Warme also admitted that he threatened a Government witness, resulting in an increased sentencing exposure before the Court.

Assistant U.S.Attorney Anthony M. Bruce, who prosecuted the case, stated that while Warme served as a Niagara Falls Police Officer, he occasionally obtained cocaine using his marked police car and while in uniform. The defendant also provided one of his cocaine suppliers with the descriptions of NFPD undercover cars, and alerted a narcotics trafficker to an upcoming search warrant which was to have been executed at the trafficker’s location later that night.

In 2007, Warme – again while on duty – ordered a woman who had been in a parked car out of her vehicle. He directed the woman to the rear of the car, and thereafter repeatedly groped her.

United States Attorney Hochul stated that “the vast majority of law enforcement officers serve and protect the public faithfully and with great distinction. This particular officer violated both his oath and the public trust, and used his position to commit serious federal crimes. Our Office will fully enforce the laws of this country regardless of the position or status of the defendant.”

The sentencing was the result of an investigation by detectives of the Internal Affairs and the Narcotics Enforcement Sections of the Niagara Falls Police Department under the direction of Superintendent of Police John Chella, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge James H. Robertson, Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration under the direction of Resident Agent in Dale Kasprzyk and Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Francis Christiano.