12 Lrgp Gang Members And Associates Indicted; Charged With Narcotics Trafficking

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE:  (716) 843-5817
FAX #:                (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted 12 members and associates of the LRGP Gang and charged them with possession with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a mandatory of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.

The LRGP gang, which operates primarily in the area of Lathrop, Rother, Playter and Gibson Streets in the City of Buffalo, is alleged to be an organization engaged in violent criminal activity, including the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine and the use of firearms.

Named in the indictment are:

• Nathaniel Myers
• Anthony Newbern
• Augustus Kidd
• Brandon Miller
• Damien Carmichael
• Erika Gray
• Judy Berry
• Ka’ron McDuffie
• Marcus Edwards
• Matthew Johnson
• Vaughn Owens
• Willielee Jernigan

Defendants Nathaniel Myers, Damien Carmichael and Matthew Johnson are also charged with maintaining a premises at 41 Houghton Avenue, Buffalo, NY, for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using crack cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force which included the Amherst Police Department; Buffalo Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Cheektowaga Police Department; Erie County Sheriff’s Office; Hamburg Police Department; Lancaster Police Department; Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority; New York State Department of Correctional Services; New York State Police; U.S. Border Patrol; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement–Homeland Security Investigations.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.