Dontrell Wise, Drug Trafficking, New York 2023
A Buffalo man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the overdose death of a 28-year-old woman.
Dontrell Wise, 32, of Buffalo, NY, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl; and distribution of fentanyl causing death.
The case against Wise began in 2017, when he was stopped by Buffalo Police officers in a rental vehicle with heavily tinted windows. Wise was found in possession of over $8,000 in cash, while a co-conspirator, Jerell Weathersby, had a quantity of butyryl fentanyl.
Two weeks earlier, on November 9, 2017, Wise distributed fentanyl that ultimately caused the death of a 28-year-old woman in Cheektowaga, NY. The evidence at trial established that Wise sold approximately 10 grams of a substance containing fentanyl which was injected by the woman, resulting in her overdose death.
The investigation into Wise's activities was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan; and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David J. Zack.
Wise was arrested along with co-defendants Lemario Jones and Jerell Weathersby. Jones was convicted of distribution of a controlled substance and sentenced to 63 months in prison. Weathersby was convicted of possession with attempt to distribute butyryl fentanyl and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
On November 23, 2017, Wise was sentenced to life in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant's actions had devastating consequences for the victim and her family.
Contact: Barbara Burns, U.S. Attorney's Office, (716) 843-5817, (716) 551-3051.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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