Michael Elder Indicted on Crack, Fentanyl Charges

Michael Elder, 36, of Tonawanda, NY, has been indicted on federal drug charges after law enforcement raided his home and seized crack cocaine and fentanyl. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury, accuses Elder of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and fentanyl, along with maintaining a drug-involved premises at 143 Edgewood Avenue.

The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, a maximum of 40 years behind bars, and a $5,000,000 fine. Prosecutors say the case stems from a November 3, 2016, search warrant executed by the United States Probation Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Officers moved in while Elder was on parole for a prior federal conviction.

During the raid, agents recovered the controlled substances from the defendant’s residence, triggering the federal charges. The operation was part of an ongoing investigation targeting drug distribution networks in the Buffalo-Niagara region, where fentanyl-laced substances have fueled a spike in overdose deaths.

Elder was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and ordered detained pending trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti is prosecuting the case, emphasizing the dangers of drug distribution in residential neighborhoods.

The investigation was led by the United States Probation Department under Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo and the DEA’s New York Field Division, headed by Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt. Federal authorities say they’re intensifying pressure on repeat offenders involved in the opioid and crack trade.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation. Michael Elder is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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