Long Island Man Sentenced to 10 Years In Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Crack Cocaine in Riverhead Area

Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Tramaine Brown was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 10 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and powder cocaine.  Brown pleaded guilty in June 2019. 

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.

“The Riverhead area is safer with Tramaine Brown sent to prison for running an armed and dangerous drug trafficking operation that endangered residents, including Brown’s own family members,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “We will continue to work tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to take drugs and drug traffickers off our streets.”  Mr. Donoghue also extended his grateful thanks to the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force, which partnered with the FBI in the investigation. 

In January 2018, the FBI and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force began an investigation into narcotics trafficking and gang activity on the East End of Long Island, including the Riverhead area.  As part of that investigation, agents and officers purchased more than 300 grams of crack cocaine from Brown at his home in Jamesport, where he resided with his wife and his children.  During one purchase, Brown was captured on video “cooking” powder cocaine into crack in his kitchen, while a child was present.  A backpack containing fentanyl, an extremely dangerous opioid, was in close proximity to the child.  On November 14, 2018, a search warrant was executed at Brown’s residence, and large quantities of narcotics, cash and a .223 caliber assault rifle, a .308 caliber rifle and a .45 caliber pistol were seized.  In total, during the investigation of Brown’s drug trafficking operation, law enforcement recovered quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, narcotics packaging materials, a kilogram press, eight cellular telephones and over $10,000 in cash. 

This case was investigated as part of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Maffei and Nicole Boeckmann are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

TRAMAINE BROWN
Age: 30
Jamesport, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-604 (JS)