Attorney General James Announces Convictions and Sentencings of Fentanyl and Cocaine Traffickers in the Finger Lakes Region

 

47 People Convicted of Crimes Related to Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine and Weapons Offenses

Investigation Seized Over 10 Kilograms of Fentanyl, Over 10 Kilograms of Cocaine, 19 Firearms and More Than $440,000

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the convictions and sentencings of 47 people for their roles in two major drug trafficking networks in Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, and Yates counties. An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) charged the defendants with 177 crimes and seized more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl and more than 10 kilograms of cocaine, with a total value of more than $9 million. Investigators also seized 19 firearms, including assault weapons and ghost guns, and more than $440,000 in cash. The leaders of the trafficking operations have all been sentenced to years in prison and the final leader to be sentenced, Michael Danzey, was sentenced on September 19 in Wayne County court to 25 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.  

“Deadly opioids sold by sophisticated drug trafficking networks are tearing communities apart throughout our state,” said Attorney General James. “This investigation successfully took down major drug trafficking networks and removed millions of dollars of fentanyl and cocaine from our streets. Together with our law enforcement partners, my office successfully prosecuted the dozens of individuals who made up these dangerous trafficking operations. I will continue to go after anyone who puts New Yorkers in danger with illegal drugs.”    

The convictions were the result of a joint investigation between OAG’s OCTF and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation, aimed at rooting out fentanyl and cocaine dealers operating in the Finger Lakes region, included covert physical surveillance, thousands of hours of electronic surveillance, and multiple search warrants.  

Michael Danzey

The investigation revealed that Michael Danzey and Terrance Raggs, brothers who often partnered together, sold cocaine to a network of customers throughout Wayne County. During the course of the investigation, investigators also uncovered that in June 2021, Danzey attempted to murder an individual that he believed had stolen from him. The individual sustained multiple serious injuries as a result of the shooting, but ultimately survived. In the aftermath of the shooting, Danzey turned to his brother, Raggs, to conceal evidence from law enforcement. Other central figures operating within Wayne County in this narcotics distribution network were Ryan Faniel, Romaris Glanton, Karmalus Herrington, Tyquail Raggs, and Aaron Sweeney, who were selling cocaine and oxycodone in Wayne, Ontario, and Monroe counties.  

The investigation further revealed that Sweeney and Faniel had several sources of supply for the cocaine and oxycodone pills they sold, including Raquel “Ma” Torres and Jaquinn Edwards, who both resided on Avenue D in Rochester. This single block in the city of Rochester was a major trafficking hub that distributed these dangerous drugs throughout the region. Buyers would be directed to different houses on Avenue D to pick up their drugs. In addition to Torres and Edwards, other suppliers were located on or near the 200 block of Avenue D in Rochester, such as Jasmine Ofray and Raymond Vega.   

The Rivera Family

Luis Rivera was a source of cocaine supply to many of the Avenue D narcotics sellers. Through intercepted communications and other evidence, the investigation found that Luis Rivera and his sons, Luis Emmanuel Rivera, Natan Rivera, and Jacob Rivera, along with their associates, were operating a cocaine and fentanyl distribution operation based out of Rochester. Jacob Rivera, who was serving a sentence for federal charges in Louisiana during the investigation, used smuggled contraband cellphones to communicate with his brothers and arrange for shipments of narcotics to be sent from California to Rochester, several of which were intercepted by the investigation. 

Seized package of fentanyl that was bound for the Rivera family in May 2021

Seized guns and drugs recovered by the investigation

“Five years ago, the roots of this investigation delved into the sources of illicit narcotics in Wayne County and quickly led to other areas of the Finger Lakes Region, and now we are seeing the last of these convicted criminals sentenced,” said Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby. “This case is proof that the most successful way that law enforcement achieves its mission to serve and to protect, is when local, state and federal agencies all work together for the common good. As a result of our collective work, we have prevented countless overdose deaths that we have seen so much of, and have been able to hold accountable those who have been responsible for harming our communities with dangerous drugs and other crimes related to the drug trade. In addition to those arrests and seizures, the quality of life in Western New York, particularly Wayne County, has been impacted in a positive way.”     

The following individuals have been convicted and sentenced:  

• Treshon Alexander, a/k/a “Tre” of Rochester, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and sentenced to 10 years in prison plus five years of post-release supervision.
• Tyrone Berry of Lyons, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to one and a half years in prison plus one year of post-release supervision.  
• Alexis Broida, a/k/a “Lexi,” of Rochester, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and has a pending probationary sentence.  
• Derrick Brown of Lyons, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 5th Degree and sentenced to a three year Conditional Discharge.  
• James Butler of Newark, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Michael Danzey of Sodus, NY was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Assault in the First Degree and sentenced to 25 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.  
• Jacquinn Edwards of Rochester, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree has a pending sentence of three and a half years in prison and two years of post-release supervision.
• Ryan Faniel of Palmyra, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and sentenced to four years in prison and two years of post-release supervision.
• Romaris Glanton of Newark, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and sentenced to three and a half years and three years of post-release supervision.  
• Jeanette Gonzalez of Rochester, NY was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to one and one third to four years in prison.  
• Jay Quanna Arrimintha Green of Rochester, NY was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to one year in the Wayne County Jail.
• Karmalus Herrington of Newark, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and sentenced to four years in prison and three years of post-release supervision.  
• Christopher Johnston of Penn Yann, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Alica Lannon of Palmyra, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Daniel Littles of Lyons, NY was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Carlos Luna, a/k/a “Flaco,” of Rochester, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Christina Martin of Newark, NY was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Nelson Martinez of Rochester, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and sentenced to three years in prison and one year of post-release supervision.  
• Randolph Mattice of Canandaigua, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.
• Brooke Miner of Newark, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Jamal Moody of Newark, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to one and a half years in prison and two years of post-release supervision.  
• Megan Murray of Fairport, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Jasmine Ofray of Rochester, NY was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Andrea Parker of Palmyra, NY was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Terrance Raggs of Sodus, NY was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree and Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and sentenced to eight years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.  
• Tyquail Raggs of Sodus, NY was convicted of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and sentenced to four years in prison and three years of post-release supervision.  
• Geneva Rivera, a/k/a Geneva Brown of Rochester, NY was convicted of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and sentenced to five years of probation.  
• Jacob Rivera, a/k/a “J,” of Rochester, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree and Attempted Money Laundering in the Second Degree and sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.  
• Luis Rivera of Rochester, NY was convicted of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Attempted Money Laundering in the Second Degree and sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.  

The multi-agency investigation brought together the resources of more than a dozen state, local, and federal enforcement agencies, including the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, Canandaigua Police Department, Geneva Police Department, Newark Police Department, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Wayne County Probation Department, the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, Rochester Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON FOR SHOOTING THAT INJURED TWO WOMEN ON MTA BUS

One Victim Seriously Wounded by Bullet; Other Injured by Shattered Glass When Defendant Fired Nine Shots 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced today that a Bronx man was sentenced to seven years in prison for a shooting that sent a stray bullet into an MTA bus, injuring two women passengers. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant fired multiple shots from a handgun on a busy street in the middle of the day. One of those bullets shattered the window of a passing bus and seriously wounded a passenger in the shoulder. Today, the defendant is held accountable for his callous actions. Hopefully, this sentencing will bring some comfort to the victims.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Anibal Colon, 47, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis. Colon pled guilty to one count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree on July 30, 2025.

According to the investigation, at 3:20 p.m. on July 1, 2023, the defendant fired nine shots from a 9 mm semi-automatic weapon at an individual in the vicinity of Union Avenue and East 156th Street. The bullets missed the intended target. However, one round went through the window of an MTA bus. A female passenger was hit in her left shoulder and suffered life-altering injury. Another woman sustained minor injuries from shattered glass. Colon was arrested on September 13, 2023.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Ivan Luciano and his colleagues of the 40th Precinct Detective Squad for their work in the investigation. 

Governor Hochul Announces New Locomotives Begin Passenger Service on Metro-North Railroad

Train Reliability Enhanced While Reducing Air Pollutants by 85 Percent

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that new 4,200-horsepower Siemens Charger locomotives received last year for testing by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will begin passenger service on Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line at the start of Climate Week NYC, Monday, Sept. 22. These new locomotives provide riders with even more reliable service while reducing airborne pollutants by 85 percent, all while producing 1,000 more horsepower than the current fleet.

"Metro North is charging into the future with faster, greener, and more reliable locomotives," Governor Hochul said. "There is no better way to kick off climate week than by further enhancing the emissions-reducing power of mass transit. I will always be a champion for New York's commuters, and by modernizing our Metro-North fleet, tens of thousands of riders every single day will have a smoother, faster ride."

Rolling Stock Siemens Mobility North America President Tobias Bauer said, “Today marks a proud milestone for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro North Railroad, Siemens Mobility, and for rail innovation in America. The Charger locomotives entering revenue service are more than just trains, they represent our shared commitment to modern and reliable transportation for millions of passengers. Built right here in the U.S., these locomotives combine cutting-edge technology with proven performance, and we’re honored to celebrate this moment alongside our partners at the MTA at Grand Central Terminal.”

In 2021, the MTA’s Metro-North Railroad placed an order with Siemens Mobility for 27 Dual Mode Charger locomotives, known by the model number SC42-DM. These locomotives operate on both diesel-electric and third-rail electric power, enabling them to run on all of Metro-North’s non-electrified lines and switch to electric power for electrified routes, including in Grand Central Terminal. These locomotives are being manufactured at the Siemens Mobility rolling stock facility in Sacramento, CA, and delivered to Metro-North through 2027.

The purchase of these new Siemens Charger locomotives was funded by the MTA's 2015-19 and 2020-24 Capital Plans, along with funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). 

CITY OF NEW YORK TAKES MULTIPLE ACTIONS SUPPORTING CHALLENGES TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO ROLL BACK CLIMATE SCIENCE, HARM PUBLIC HEALTH, THREATEN LOCAL ECONOMIES

 

City Files Three Comments Letters, Amicus Brief Opposing EPA’s Proposal to Reverse Landmark 2009 “Endangerment Finding” That Will Roll Back Federal Motor Vehicle Emission Standards Protecting Health and Safety of Americans 

  

Increasing Risk for Natural Disasters Will Threaten Public Health, Safety, Local Economies 

  

Announcement Comes at the Start of “Climate Week NYC”  

The City of New York today announced that — as part of a coalition of dozens of cities, counties, and states from across the nation — it has filed three comment letters   opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed reversal of its 2009 “Endangerment Finding.” The landmark 2009 finding holds that greenhouse gas emissions — including those from motor vehicles — drive climate change and endanger public health and welfare. The new proposal — issued on August 1, 2025 — would deny the EPA’s authority to regulate harmful air pollution that contributes to climate change, harms public health, and would eliminate all existing EPA vehicle emission standards.  

  

Additionally, earlier this month, the City of New York and a coalition of 19 attorneys general filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Environmental Defense Fund v. Wright, supporting the plaintiffs in a case challenging the authority of the Climate Working Group, convened by the U.S. Department of Energy in violation of Federal Advisory Committee Act requirements, to prepare a report that purports to undermine the scientific consensus on climate change. 

  

This announcement builds on the work the Adams administration has done to address climate change and comes at the start of “Climate Week NYC,” the world’s biggest climate event of its kind. In 2024, Mayor Adams introduced the city’s first-ever climate budgeting publication through the city’s Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget. Climate budgeting is a process that incorporates science-based climate considerations into the city’s budget decision-making process by evaluating how actions and spending today contribute to meeting longer-term climate targets and needs. New York City is the first big city in the United States to adopt climate budgeting, joining other global cities, such as London, Oslo, and Mumbai, to utilize the process.

 

“New York City is no stranger to the devastating effects of natural disasters. With more extreme weather events hitting the five boroughs more often, for our safety and to protect our economy, we must be prepared for the effects of climate change, including by putting in place stronger federal regulations of greenhouse gases,” said Mayor Adams. “Attempts to undermine this scientific consensus should not be the basis for undoing important regulations that mitigate future environmental damage that threatens lives, brings harm to our communities, and hampers our economies. We are proud to stand with our partners from across the nation in taking multiple actions supporting long-held scientific findings that protect against environmental disasters in our communities.” 

 

“More than a decade ago, the EPA formally determined that greenhouse gases threaten the public health and welfare of the American people, and that emissions from motor vehicles and engines contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens public health and welfare,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “Now, over the span of a few months, the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA have sought to manufacture a basis to reject this overwhelming scientific consensus, endangering all Americans and all New Yorkers.” 

 

The 2009 Endangerment Finding was the direct result of the landmark 2007 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Massachusetts v. EPA, which confirmed the EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that threaten public health and welfare. In direct response to that opinion, and after more than two years of scientific review, the EPA determined, in 2009, that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles contribute to air pollution that harm public health and welfare.   

  

2009 Endangerment Finding Comment Letter  

  

In their letter submitted to the EPA today, the coalition argues that rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding would violate settled law, Supreme Court precedent, and scientific consensus, endangering the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans, particularly those in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms.  

  

Scientific research has proven that every region of the country is experiencing harms of climate change and motor vehicle pollution, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea level rise. Extreme summer heat — driven by climate change — is leading to increased rates of heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, low-income individuals, and workers. Increasing rates of natural disasters — like wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and droughts — not only have a devastating effect on public health and safety, but on state and local economies as well.  

  

Climate change poses existential risks to New Yorkers’ health and safety. Sea level rise in New York City is putting communities and infrastructure at risk of regular flooding. Extreme weather events — such as Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Ida in 2021 — can result in injury and loss of life due to exposure, interrupted utility service, or lack of access to emergency services. Additionally, warming temperatures exacerbate or introduce health problems. On average, more than 500 New Yorkers die prematurely because of extreme heat in New York City each year. 

  

Not only does the EPA’s proposed reversal ignore those facts, but it also violates the EPA’s legal obligations under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change.  

  

The coalition argues, in today’s letter, that the EPA’s new legal interpretations are inconsistent with the Clean Air Act and binding Supreme Court precedent, and that the proposal would mark a drastic reversal of its own longstanding findings without any explanation grounded in science. To make matters worse, the Climate Working Group report on which the EPA relies is substantively flawed, yet the EPA blindly accepts its findings and disregards the scientific consensus, which was just reaffirmed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine last week.  

  

In filing this comment letter, the coalition urges the EPA to abandon its proposal to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding.  

   

Motor Vehicles Comment Letter 

  

In withdrawing the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the EPA also proposes to repeal all existing federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for all motor vehicle classes and all years. In a second letter submitted to the EPA today, the coalition explains that this unprecedented disruption to the regulatory norms of the last 15 years will harm states and local governments’ residents, industries, natural resources, and public investments.  

    

Regulatory enforcement for greenhouse gas emissions is also crucial to vehicle affordability, consumer choice, and to the success of the American automotive industry. The greenhouse gas program for vehicles incentivizes automakers to innovate and create better cars, saving drivers hundreds of billions of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs, and helps support domestic manufacturing and jobs. Repealing that program, as the EPA now proposes, will shutter factories, kill jobs, and wipe out billions of dollars in investments by Congress, states, and local governments to keep the American auto industry thriving and globally competitive.    

  

Climate Working Group Comment Letter 

  

Earlier this month, on September 2, the City of New York joined another coalition of 27 localities from around the nation in filing a comment letter opposing the Climate Working Group report that EPA relied on in its proposed recission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding.  

  

In that comment letter, the coalition identified several legal flaws in the Climate Working Group report. In creating the Climate Working Group, the U.S. Department of Energy selected five widely known climate change skeptics, ignored well-established scientific integrity standards, and failed to comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s procedures, which require the disclosure of all committee-related records and that committee meetings be open to the public.   

  

The report — written in less than two months and filled with inaccuracies, factual omissions, and mischaracterizations of climate science research — attempts to critique decades of peer-reviewed scientific research establishing that the emission of greenhouse gases cause climate change and endanger public health and welfare.  

  

In filing the comment letter, the coalition urged the Department of Energy to withdraw the unlawful and misguided Climate Working Group report.  

  

Joining the City of New York in filing all three comment letters were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the chief legal officers of the city and county of Denver, Colorado, Chicago, Illinois, and Martin Luther King Jr. County, Washington.   

  

Climate Working Group Amicus Brief 

  

On August 29, the City of New York and 19 attorneys general from around the nation filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Environmental Defense Fund v. Wright, supporting the plaintiffs in their effort to declare the Climate Working Group’s report unlawful.  

  

In their brief, the coalition argued that the Department of Energy violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act by establishing and utilizing the Climate Working Group, and that this violation will harm state and local governments’ strong interest in ensuring that the federal government rely on the best available science to guide its climate policy decisions. In New York City, the New York City Panel on Climate Change uses federal climate data to develop its own reports and mapping tools, which inform many city policies, including the Climate Resilience Design Guidelines and zoning rules related to current and future flood conditions. 

  

On September 17, the district court held that the federal government is not exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.  

  

Joining the City of New York in filing this amicus brief were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.  

  

In addition to the actions described above, Elijah Hutchinson, Executive Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, testified before EPA on August 21 to oppose its proposed recission of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and motor vehicle greenhouse gas standards.  

  

These four actions build on the numerous actions the Adams administration has taken to protect New Yorkers from the effects of climate change. Just last week, Mayor Adams broke ground on a $218 million public safety project to protect Red Hook from coastal flooding and save hundreds of millions of dollars for residents in lost property costs. And, as announced in the Mayor’s Management Report last week, in Fiscal Year 2025, the city saw major environmental gains and savings, largely due to composting and recycling. Overall recycling tonnage increased 4 percent, and the diversion rate of recyclables rose for a third consecutive year to 21.8 percent, the highest since Fiscal Year 2011. Tons of refuse disposed to landfills decreased to the lowest level in at least 15 years, largely due to the tons of organic waste that were diverted, which increased nearly 29 percent. In 2023, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of the “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality” proposal, a historic set of citywide zoning changes that will facilitate climate action, clean energy, and resiliency.  

Allerton Avenue Homeowners & Tenants Association September Meeting

 

Allerton Avenue Homeowners & Tenants Association September Meeting - "New Location."