Miquise Jones, Racketeering Conspiracy, New York 2023

Buffalo, NY – Miquise Jones, a/k/a Scaife, 24, of Buffalo, NY, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy and other charges, announced U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr.

In addition to Jones, Shanna Smith, 25, of Buffalo, NY, was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison for making false declarations before a federal grand jury and obstruction of justice.

Jones was a member of the CBL/BFL Gang, which stands for, among other things, “Cash Been Long” and “Brothers for Life.” The gang was involved in the illegal possession and distribution of narcotics, formed around 2009 and operates primarily in the City of Buffalo at the Towne Gardens Housing Complex.

The Towne Gardens served as a central hub for the gang with many members living within the housing complex, and many housing units used to store firearms and narcotics. Parking lots and business fronts adjacent to the Towne Gardens were utilized by members of the gang to distribute street level quantities of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs.

The gang used violence, including murder and attempted murder, threats, and intimidation to defend their territory against rivals and anyone deemed to be a threat to the gang.

Jones was convicted of racketeering and narcotics conspiracy. The proof against him established that on August 21, 2015, he drove a vehicle on Dodge Street Buffalo with two co-defendants who shot at Victim J, a rival gang member, in retaliation for the shooting of Larell Watkins. On August 30, 2015, Jones drove a vehicle to Genesee and Crossman Streets in Buffalo, with two co-defendants who shot at Victim K, a rival gang member.

On September 21, 2015, at East Ferry Street in Buffalo, the defendant drove a vehicle with three co-defendants, and one of those co-defendants exited the vehicle, fired a gun numerous times at Victim L, a rival gang member. Victim L sought refuge in a store and the co-defendant then opened up the door to the store and began to shoot inside of the store. Victim L was struck in his arm and sustained injuries. Approximately 20 minutes later, Jones drove the vehicle in the area of Genesee and Crossman Streets in Buffalo. Another co-defendant in the car fired shots and struck Victim K, a rival gang member.

On April 4, 2016, the defendant appeared in a video on Snapchat and displayed three firearms. On June 4, 2016, Jones was in a vehicle stopped by the Buffalo Police Department and possessed a Beretta semi-automatic pistol with ammunition. On December 11, 2016, the defendant was at Skyzone in Cheektowaga, NY when rival gang members shot at members of CBL/BFL. Jones and others agreed to retaliate. The defendant drove to the bar called The Groove in Buffalo where a co-defendant fired gunshots at Victim L, a rival gang member.

On June 2, 2017, in the Towne Gardens, Jones possessed marijuana packaged for distribution.

On July 31, 2018, defendant Smith, while under oath, lied to a federal grand jury regarding the murder of Xavier Wimes on January 1, 2017, and the role of her cousin, Dalvon Curry, in that murder.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant: Miquise Jones, a/k/a Scaife

Criminal Charges: Racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy

City and State: Buffalo, New York

Exact Date: Multiple dates, including August 21, 2015, August 30, 2015, and September 21, 2015

Sentence or Outcome: 188 months in prison

Dollar Amounts: None

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