Buffalo, NY – In a major blow to the Afro Dogs Motorcycle Club, its former president Dewey Taylor, 42, was sentenced to 144 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and structuring financial transactions.
Taylor, also known as Road Rash, was convicted of the charges following a five-week jury trial. The evidence presented in court established that Taylor supplied cocaine to Afro Dogs National Vice-President John C. Smith, a/k/a Kazoo, who distributed the drug to members and non-members throughout the Buffalo area between 2006 and March 2, 2011.
The government’s case was built on wiretap conversations recorded on Smith’s cellular phone for five months, as well as 14 undercover purchases of cocaine from Smith. Unfortunately, Smith died in June 2013 while awaiting sentencing.
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Taylor was also convicted of seven counts of structuring financial transactions to evade currency reporting requirements. He deposited over $10,000 in funds into personal and business accounts at the Erie Metro Federal Credit Union, splitting the transactions into smaller amounts to avoid reporting requirements.
Co-defendant Dale Lockwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in August 2013 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Co-defendants William Szymanski, Anthony Burley, and Van Miller were acquitted of the same charge.
The case was the result of a collaborative effort by law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Police, the Buffalo Police Department, the Amherst Police Department, the Tonawanda Police Department, the Lockport Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service.
Taylor’s sentencing marks a significant victory in the ongoing battle against organized crime in Western New York. The Afro Dogs Motorcycle Club was dismantled following the arrest of multiple members in March 2011, and several co-defendants have already been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.
RELATED: Afro Dogs President Convicted of Drug Conspiracy
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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