Buffalo man going to prison for more than 20 years for selling heroin and fentanyl that resulted in two deaths

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Isaiah Spain a/k/a Q, 39, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 10 grams or more of butyryl fentanyl, heroin, fentanyl, and furanyl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 250 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Leydecker, who handled the case, stated that in August 2018, The West Seneca Police Department, New York State Police and DEA began investigating Spain’s drug trafficking activities. The investigation determined that Spain conspired with others to sell heroin, fentanyl, butyryl fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl, sales of which were subsequently linked with numerous drug overdoses, including two fatalities.

On November 4, 2017, Amherst Police responded to a 911 call in Williamsville, NY, where they located an unresponsive individual, identified as S.D., who was pronounced  dead at the scene of an apparent drug overdose. The substances used by S.D. were purchased from Spain by another individual and sold to S.D. On August 24, 2018, West Seneca Police responded to a residence for a reported drug overdose. Upon arrival, an individual identified as S.C. was pronounced dead at the scene from an apparent drug overdose. The substances used by S.D. were purchased from Spain.  

Between October 2018, and January 2019, investigators conducted a combined total of 13 controlled buys of suspected controlled substances from Spain. Following each controlled buy, the suspected controlled substance was analyzed and confirmed to contain butyryl fentanyl.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Baker, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.

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