Joseph Bella, Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, New York 2020

Joseph Bella, 47, of Buffalo, New York, was arrested and charged with multiple drug and gun offenses, announced U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. on April 23, 2020. Bella is accused of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine; maintaining a drug involved premises; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and being both a felon and an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

The charges against Bella carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $1,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi is handling the case.

According to the complaint, on April 23, 2020, Special Agents and Officers from Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Buffalo Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Summer Street in Buffalo. The defendant was present during the execution of the search warrant.

During the search, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent and K-9 performed a K-9 sniff of the residence. The K-9 alerted to a small locked metal box in the bedroom of the residence. The box contained approximately 63 grams of suspected cocaine, along with a digital scale, a shotgun, and numerous rounds of ammunition.

Agents also recovered THC gummies, lollipops, and other THC edibles; marijuana cigarettes and loose marijuana; THC vape cartridges; suspected Psilocybin mushrooms; an additional bag containing cocaine; a small quantity of MDMA; various pills; and THC resin. The investigation has determined that the defendant has been involved in the distribution of controlled substances for at least four years in the Buffalo area.

Bella was previously convicted of cocaine possession and destruction of evidence in Lake County, Florida in April 2011, making him prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

This investigation is a result of an ongoing effort by law enforcement to combat crime and protect communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Buffalo Police Department.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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