Rochester Drug Lords Wyatt, Cunningham Plead Guilty

Michael Wyatt, 38, and Andre Cunningham, 25, both of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty to running a ruthless drug trafficking operation that flooded the city with fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base. The pair admitted to leading a violent, organized ring that operated out of multiple drug houses, turning neighborhoods into open-air markets for deadly narcotics.

Wyatt and Cunningham entered their pleas before Chief United States District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., copping to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and heroin. For Wyatt, the charge carries a minimum sentence of 10 years, a maximum of life in prison, and an $8,000,000 fine. Cunningham faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, Wyatt sourced bulk quantities of narcotics from multiple suppliers, then oversaw their distribution across Rochester. Cunningham acted as a key lieutenant, directing sales and operations at known drug houses located at 218 Emerson Street and 131 Saratoga Avenue. At these locations, crew members processed and repackaged drugs into street-level doses for sale.

The drug houses were not just stash spots—they were assembly lines of addiction. Under Wyatt and Cunningham’s command, crew members broke down kilos of fentanyl-laced product into smaller bags, flooding streets with poison that has claimed countless lives in upstate New York. The operation ran with military precision, exploiting vulnerable communities for profit.

The takedown resulted from a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), under Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Todd K. Baxter; and the Rochester Police Department, directed by Chief La’Ron D. Singletary. Wiretaps, surveillance, and informant testimony dismantled the network piece by piece.

Sentencing is set for August 5, 2019. Michael Wyatt will face justice at 2:00 p.m., followed by Andre Cunningham at 3:00 p.m.—both before Chief Judge Geraci, Jr. As Rochester fights an opioid epidemic, the guilty pleas mark a rare win in a war waged block by block, body by body.