Lyndonville Man Cuffed for Guns, Pot Ring

Nolan Donald, 21, of Lyndonville, NY, is locked down — not behind bars, but under federal supervision — after being sentenced to three years of home confinement for dealing marijuana and hoarding firearms while actively using drugs. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara handed down the sentence following Donald’s conviction on federal charges of being an unlawful drug user in possession of guns and ammunition, along with possession and distribution of marijuana.

The hammer came down after a April 18, 2018 raid on Donald’s residence on North Lyndonville Road. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, executed a search warrant and pulled a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol — chambered with eight rounds — a 12-gauge shotgun, 79 additional rounds of ammunition, and a stash of marijuana products from the property. That included raw weed, edible marijuana cookies, and plastic baggies commonly used for packaging street-level drug sales.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth T. Molisani, who prosecuted the case, Donald admitted he’d been selling marijuana for nearly two years straight leading up to the bust — right up to the moment cops kicked in his door. He also confessed to smoking pot daily for the past 18 months, cementing the government’s argument that he was an unlawful user under federal law, which bars drug users from possessing firearms.

But Donald wasn’t exactly hiding in the shadows. Between February and April 2018, he flaunted his lifestyle on Snapchat, posting videos and photos showing himself brandishing a pistol, piling up bags of marijuana, and consuming what appeared to be prescription meds and cannabis. The digital trail gave investigators a clear timeline of his dual life: dealer by day, social media showboat by night.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation, tracing Donald’s activity through digital forensics, witness statements, and physical evidence. His social media posts weren’t just reckless — they became key exhibits proving both possession and intent to distribute.

U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. emphasized that the case reflects ongoing federal scrutiny of gun possession among drug users, especially when firearms and narcotics are mixed in residential communities. Donald’s sentence may spare him prison, but his freedom is now measured in square feet — confined to his home, under constant watch, a warning to others playing the same dangerous game.