Seven people have been indicted on charges of selling and possessing cocaine after four drug investigations by local law enforcement, which included a dozen undercover cocaine purchases by police, according to Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr.
The investigation was done by the Town of Hamburg Police Department Narcotics Unit, with assistance from the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit and City of Lackawanna Police Department Narcotics Unit.
According to the indictment, four of the defendants were running a powder cocaine sales ring from 67 Long Avenue in the Village of Hamburg where they were living. They are:
25-year-old Aaron Carroll, who was charged with five counts each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. He’s accused of selling cocaine to undercover officers five times from October of last year to January of this year.
25-year-old Nicholas Hubble, who was charged with two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Hubble is accused of selling cocaine to undercover officers on two occasions in October of last year.
25-year-old Joshua Taylor, who was charged with one count each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Taylor is accused of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in January of this year.
24-year-old Kelly Hosken, who was charged with one count each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Hosken is accused of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in October of last year.
Also indicted is 35-year-old Bradley Draudt of Hamburg who sold powder cocaine in January of 2014 to an undercover officer in the restroom of a bar in the Town of Hamburg.
Draudt has been charged with one count each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
33-year-old Merneptah Sealy of Buffalo is also indicted on one count each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
Police say that on Oct. 2, Sealy sold crack cocaine to an undercover officer in the parking lot of a home improvement store in the Town of Hamburg. Before making the sale, Sealy asked the undercover officer if he was a police officer. The defendant made the sale to the officer despite his concerns, but refused to sell to the officer again.
24-year-old Devin Ford of Lackawanna is also indicted on one count each of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
Ford is accused of selling powder cocaine to an undercover police officer on Sept. 17 after directing the officer to drive him to a location in Buffalo.
“Whether it’s cocaine, heroin, crack or pills, if you are peddling poison, the police will find you and our office will prosecute you,” says Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. “I commend Town of Hamburg Police Chief Wickett, his Narcotics Unit, and its law enforcement partners for their relentless efforts to remove dealers from the streets.”
All seven will appear in court at a later date.
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