Buffalo, N.Y. — A federal grand jury has indicted Tyrone Pennick, 40, of Amherst, NY, and Geneva Smith, 30, of Buffalo, NY, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The indictment, announced today by Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. The case centers on a November 2016 surveillance operation that quickly turned into a high-stakes drug bust.
The investigation began when Erie County Sheriff’s Office detectives conducted surveillance at 489 Emerson Drive in Amherst — Pennick’s residence. On November 17, 2016, they observed Geneva Smith exiting the home carrying an open-top tote bag and entering a bronze Ford Flex. Surveillance teams noted Smith’s sudden shift in behavior — repeatedly checking her rearview mirror and driving erratically. Officers watched as she reached into the backseat and moved the tote bag to the front passenger seat before being pulled over.
During the traffic stop, investigators seized two containers from the tote bag believed to contain cocaine. That same day, a search warrant was executed at Pennick’s home. Inside, authorities found a full drug operation in motion: a metal press, digital scale, vacuum sealer, packaging materials, rubber gloves, and dust masks. Hidden in the dishwasher, they discovered $49,990 in U.S. currency vacuum-sealed inside a plastic bag. Another plastic bag, concealed in a box of oatmeal, held approximately one ounce of suspected cocaine.
Tyrone Pennick is no stranger to federal indictments. He is currently charged in a separate case as the alleged leader of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization. Notably, in June 2014, Pennick was released under home incarceration — a fact that adds gravity to his alleged return to criminal enterprise. Federal prosecutors believe the seized cash and equipment point to an ongoing, organized distribution network operating out of a quiet Amherst neighborhood.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel L. Violanti and Laura A. Higgins. The investigation was led by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Timothy Howard, alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, directed by Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen. The collaboration underscores the federal push to dismantle regional drug networks through coordinated local-federal task forces.
The indictment marks another blow in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in Western New York. However, federal authorities stress that the charges are merely accusations. Tyrone Pennick and Geneva Smith are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Both remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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