Buffalo Grandmother who Headed Family Drug Organization Sentenced on Drug Conspiracy Charges

        BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Theresa Anderson, 57, of Buffalo, N.Y. who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 188 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard J. Arcara.
 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between 2000 and February 2012, Anderson headed an illegal narcotics drug trafficking organization that controlled drug sales on Swinburne and Deshler Streets in the City of Buffalo. The defendant employed several family members to sell crack cocaine on a daily basis in the neighborhood. In order to monopolize narcotics sales in the area, the defendant threatened and intimidated rival narcotics traffickers and even purchased several homes in the area which were used for selling and storing the illegal narcotics.
 
“This defendant not only destroyed her own family by leading them into a life of illegal narcotics trafficking, she also damaged the neighborhood where the drug trafficking took place,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. "Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue our efforts to make Buffalo and its neighborhoods a safer place to live.”

As part of this case, the Government seized over $50,000 in U.S. Currency and approximately nine houses used by the drug organization. 

Anderson was arrested in February 2012 along with eight others: Steven Butler; Dion Anderson; Melvin Calhoun; Anquensha Hodge, a/k/a Anne Anderson; Wymiko Anderson, a/k/a Red; Toshia Hodge, a/k/a Toshia Anderson; Tajia Anderson, a/k/a Porkchop; and Leo Mellerson; all of Buffalo. Five of these are either children or grandchildren of Anderson. A sixth defendant is Anderson's husband and the two others are boyfriends of Andersons' daughters. All nine have been convicted.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Brian R. Crowell, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the New York State Police, Special Investigations Unit, under the direction of Major Thomas G. Marmion.