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Press Release

Crack Cocaine Dealer Sentenced On Drug Charges

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

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:           (716) 843-5817
FAX:                 (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Sekou Howard, a/k/a Kou, 41, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 147 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Howard was also ordered to forfeit two rounds of ammunition seized during the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that Howard and his cousin James Hardaway, a/k/a Jabber, and others purchased large quantities of powder cocaine which was processed into crack cocaine, packaged, and resold in various quantities in Rochester.  The defendant and Hardaway were arrested on January 16, 2014 following the execution of search warrants at 80 Ambrose Street and 153 Parkway in Rochester. During the searches, officers seized crack cocaine packaged for street sale, paraphernalia for weighing, processing and packaging narcotics, U.S. currency, and rounds of .38 caliber handgun ammunition.

Hardaway has been convicted and will be sentenced on March 9, 2015.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Updated February 10, 2015