Robert Hall, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York 2016

BUFFALO, NY – In a shocking turn of events, Robert Hall, 40, of Buffalo, NY, has been charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

According to the superseding indictment, Hall allegedly paid the intended recipients of the packages in crack cocaine. The indictment also includes charges against Clarence Adams, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was previously charged by complaint in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler stated that the investigation was the result of an intricate plan to distribute cocaine hidden inside air purifiers shipped from Texas to Buffalo. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police, under the direction of Chief George Gast, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.

The charges against Hall carry a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine. Adams and Hall were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and are both being held.

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.

Robert Hall, a 40-year-old resident of Buffalo, NY, faces serious charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

On May 13, 2016, law enforcement officers seized three packages containing suspected cocaine that were shipped from Texas to Buffalo. The cocaine was hidden inside air purifiers. Officers seized two of the packages before they were delivered and set up controlled deliveries to addresses on Tyler and Custer Streets in Buffalo.

During a subsequent search of a Mount Vernon Street residence where Adams lived, officers recovered a drug ledger that calculated the amount necessary to purchase 5 kilograms of cocaine from Adams’s bedroom. Also recovered were a digital scale and other drug preparation materials.

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