10th Street Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Jimmarlin Sessions, 28, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, to Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the case, stated that between 2000 and 2010, Sessions was a member of the 10th Street Gang, a criminal enterprise engaged in a variety of narcotics and violent crimes. As a part of his involvement in the 10th Street Gang, Sessions, along with other members and associates of the gang, sold cocaine, crack cocaine, and other controlled substances on the West Side of Buffalo, New York. As a part of his plea, Sessions admitted that he played a leadership role in the gang, that he supplied cocaine and crack cocaine to younger members of the gang, and maintained access to firearms in order to defend drug turf within the 10th Street Gang’s territory. Sessions also admitted that he conspired with other 10th Street Gang members to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and over 280 grams of crack cocaine as a part of the affairs of the 10th Street Gang.

Sessions was indicted along with 34 others in this case. He is the eighth to be convicted.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Christopher Cummings; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

Sentencing is scheduled for February 1 , 2012, at 11:30 p.m. EST, in Buffalo, N.Y., before Judge Arcara.