Buffalo Man Sentenced on Drug Conspiracy Charge

BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Antonio Briggs, 40, of Buffalo, N.Y., who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge William M. Skretny.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who handled the case, stated that Briggs was arrested along with 22 others in August of 2010 for narcotics trafficking. The defendant sold quantities of cocaine from KJ Fashions, his clothing store, at 439 East Amherst St. in Buffalo. To date, 15 of the 23 defendants have been convicted.

            The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell, New York Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero, the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Votour, and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Transit Police, under the direction of Chief George Gast.