Kenya Brown Gets 20 Years for Armed Cocaine Empire

Kenya Brown, 41, of Rochester, New York, is going away for a long time—20 years and 8 months—after being sentenced for running a high-volume, armed cocaine trafficking operation that flooded parts of the city with kilogram shipments of coke and crack. Convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, along with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, Brown now faces a federal prison term that matches the scale of his criminal enterprise.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford handed down the sentence, which includes 5 years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine. Brown was also ordered to forfeit any interest in $303,355 in seized cash—drug proceeds pulled from a stash house in Red Creek—as well as 12 shotguns, 8 rifles, and 472 rounds of ammunition. The weapons, many found loaded and ready, were used to protect Brown’s operation and intimidate rivals, according to prosecutors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who prosecuted the case, detailed how Brown and his brother, Shawnta Brown, built a sprawling narcotics network between 2006 and March 2012. The brothers sourced bulk cocaine, converted powder into crack, packaged street doses, and operated multiple drug houses across Rochester—2294 Clifford Avenue, 138 Strong Street, and 29 Aberdeen Street serving as key hubs. Lower-level dealers worked under their direction, flooding neighborhoods with poison while the Browns pocketed hundreds of thousands.

The empire collapsed on March 9, 2012, when law enforcement stormed the Brown brothers’ properties in coordinated raids. Officers seized more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, a large quantity of crack, drug processing paraphernalia, and gold and silver bar receipts—clear signs of laundering. Days later, a follow-up raid in Red Creek, Cayuga County, uncovered a treasure trove: over $303,355 in cash, $23,000 in precious metals, and more weapons. The haul confirmed the operation’s reach and violence.

The investigation didn’t stop at the Browns. It stretched across state lines, leading to the arrest of Eric Contreras, 29, in Whittier, California—their kilogram supplier. Contreras was convicted in April 2013 and sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for his role. Shawnta Brown, Kenya’s brother and co-conspirator, was also convicted and recently sentenced to 20 years in prison, sealing the fate of one of Rochester’s most organized drug cells in years.

The takedown was the result of a relentless joint effort by the Rochester Police Department, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service. Chief Michael Ciminelli, Acting DEA Agent William Reichard, ATF’s James Burroughs, and U.S. Marshal Charles Salina all oversaw the operation that brought down the syndicate. With the sentencing complete, federal authorities are sending a message: armed drug trafficking on this scale will be met with maximum consequences.