Henry Lloyd, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York 2017

Two Buffalo Men Convicted of Cocaine Conspiracy

BUFFALO, N.Y. - In a federal jury trial, Henry Lloyd, 34, and Roman Dunnigan, 41, both of Buffalo, New York, were convicted of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Lloyd faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years, while Dunnigan faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremiah E. Lenihan and Charles E. Watkins, Jr. handled the prosecution of the case. They stated that on May 7, 2017, the defendants purchased last-minute airline tickets to travel from Buffalo to Houston, TX. Lloyd, who was on supervised release at the time as a result of a prior conviction, never sought permission from his probation officer to travel.

The defendants were found to be in possession of $64,000, which was seized by the DEA. They rebooked a flight for the next day, traveling from Rochester, NY, to Houston, TX. The DEA learned of this flight and notified the DEA Resident Office in Houston.

A narcotics surveillance unit monitored the travel of the defendants upon their arrival in Houston. On May 10, 2017, Houston Police Department detectives observed Lloyd and Dunnigan purchase an Intex Inflatable Chair at a nearby Walmart. The next day, May 11, 2017, Houston police officers pulled over a rental vehicle driven by Dunnigan with Lloyd in the passenger seat.

The stop occurred next to a U.S. Post Office, which authorities believed Dunnigan and Lloyd would be utilizing to send cocaine. Upon stopping the vehicle and speaking with both Lloyd and Dunnigan, the defendants told multiple lies to the officer, and were unable to keep their story straight. A K-9 sniff of the exterior of the vehicle revealed the presence of narcotics.

During a search of the trunk, police officers located the Intex Inflatable Chair box, which contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine. Lloyd and Dunnigan were arrested and charged locally by the Houston Police Department.

Approximately three weeks later, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, along with the DEA, executed a search warrant at 1807 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. During the search, investigators recovered 177 grams of cocaine, 344 grams of butyryl fentanyl, two empty Intex Inflatable Furniture boxes, paraphernalia used to package and process narcotics for distribution, $5,500 in cash, a receipt in Dunnigan’s name, and a firearm with Dunnigan’s DNA.

Defendants Lloyd and Dunnigan both have three prior convictions. Dunnigan has prior convictions for 2nd degree Robbery and 3rd degree Possession of a Loaded Firearm in NYS, and a federal conviction for structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements. Lloyd has prior convictions for 4th degree Possession of a Firearm in NYS, and federal convictions for possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The guilty verdict is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; the Houston Police Department, under the direction of Chief Art Acevedo; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Police, under the direction of Chief George Gast; the Transportation Security Administration, under the direction of Brett O’Neil; the Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory, under the direction of Commissioner James Jancewicz; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

The guilty verdicts are a significant blow to the cocaine trafficking ring that operated in the Buffalo area. The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle narcotics trafficking organizations.

Lloyd and Dunnigan will be sentenced at a later date. The maximum penalty for the crime is 40 years in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston Police Department, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, the Transportation Security Administration, the Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremiah E. Lenihan and Charles E. Watkins, Jr.

Contact: Barbara Burns, (716) 843-5817, (716) 551-3051.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/federal-jury-convicts-two-buffalo-men-cocaine-conspiracy