BUFFALO – Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia reports the arrest of Rafael Rivera, 45, of Buffalo after a month-long investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics and Intelligence Unit into illegal drug sales on Buffalo’s West Side.
On October 6th, Narcotics and Intelligence personnel were conducting surveillance of Rivera and his vehicle in the City of Buffalo. Deputies observed Rivera enter a residence on Clinton Street and soon after exit carrying a white plastic bag. Rivera then traveled to the vicinity of Niagara Street, where he entered two convenience stores and exited with various items. After departing, Rivera was operating his vehicle in the vicinity of East Street and Garfield Street where he was observed violating multiple New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle. After initially attempting to pull away from deputies, Rivera stopped a short distance away. Deputies obtained search warrants signed by Supreme Court Judge Debra Givens for Rivera’s person, his vehicle, his residence at 102 Hertel Avenue and a Clinton Street address. In Rivera’s vehicle, deputies recovered a kilogram of cocaine and recently purchased cutting agents and packaging material. In the Hertel Avenue residence, law enforcement personnel recovered quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and additional drug paraphernalia. Rivera was charged with the following:
- 1st Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance
- 3rd Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance (4 counts)
- 2nd Degree Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia (6 counts)
- Multiple NYS VTL Infractions
Rivera was transported to the Erie County Holding Center.
“For too long, dangerous drugs like these – particularly fentanyl – have wreaked havoc on families in our community,” said Sheriff Garcia. “Each of these arrests and seizures represents a small step toward safer streets. I commend the work of our Narcotics and Intelligence Unit and thank the Buffalo Police Department and FBI Safe Streets Task Force for their assistance with this investigation.”
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