Kenmore Man Gets 57 Months for Meth Conspiracy

John McNeill, 57, of Kenmore, NY, is going away for 57 months after being sentenced on a methamphetamine conspiracy charge, capping a years-long investigation into a cross-country drug pipeline feeding Western New York’s underworld.

The sentence, handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., follows McNeill’s conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, a crime rooted in his alleged role as a regional distributor receiving bulk shipments from San Diego.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Duskiewicz, McNeill—once the owner of Mixology Bar on Forest Avenue in Buffalo—used his position and connections to funnel narcotics through commercial shipping channels. On September 5, 2014, law enforcement intercepted one such package bound for his Kenmore residence. The parcel contained a quarter kilogram of high-grade meth with a street value pegged at $38,000.

A controlled delivery was executed, allowing agents to catch McNeill red-handed upon receipt. Evidence gathered during the operation tied him to multiple transactions and confirmed ongoing coordination with a supplier based in California.

The case was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division under Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, with critical support from the Cheektowaga Police Department, headed by Chief David Zack, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, led by Chief George Gast.

McNeill now begins a federal prison term that underscores the DOJ’s continued crackdown on mid-level traffickers exploiting logistics networks to distribute deadly drugs across state lines. The investigation remains closed, with no co-defendants charged at this time.