Demario James, 34, of Buffalo, NY, stood before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara and admitted his role in a violent, city-block drug empire run by the Schuele Boys gang. James pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine — a charge that carries a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Between June 2013 and July 2014, James worked directly with co-defendant Michael Robertson and other Schuele Boys associates to flood Buffalo’s East Side with cocaine. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, James purchased bulk quantities from Robertson, then broke it down for street-level distribution — fueling addiction and violence across the neighborhood.
The Schuele Boys, rooted in the Schuele Street corridor, are no petty crew. Federal investigators link them to multiple shootings, acts of intimidation, and the steady flow of cocaine, crack, and marijuana through one of Buffalo’s most fractured communities. Their name isn’t whispered — it’s etched into police blotters and crime scene tape.
This plea is part of a sweeping federal crackdown. James is one of 28 individuals arrested in the Schuele Boys takedown. To date, 22 have been convicted, dismantling key nodes in the gang’s operation. Law enforcement sources say the pressure has disrupted supply chains and weakened the gang’s grip on the East Side.
The case was led by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, under Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, which spent years gathering wiretaps, surveillance footage, and testimony from insiders. The investigation peeled back layers of criminal enterprise masked by street loyalty and fear.
Sentencing for Demario James is set for March 16, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara. With his guilty plea, James has forfeited his chance at trial — but still faces the full weight of a federal drug trafficking conviction in one of Western New York’s most aggressive gang prosecutions in years.
Related Federal Cases
- Willie Griffin, Schuele Boys Gang Member, Sentenced in Drug Ring · New York
- Demario Devon Nance Gets 11½ Years for LRGP Drug, RICO Crimes · New York
- Gregory Scott Sentenced in LRGP Crack Cocaine Ring · New York
- Buffalo Gang Member Oscar Romero Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Charges · New York
- Dunkirk Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Conspiracy · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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