Buffalo Man Who Led Police On High Speed Chase Sentenced On Cocaine Charge

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

BUFFALO, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Amani Johnson, 21, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A, Wolford.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in the early morning hours of August 5, 2016, Buffalo Police officers received a report of a shooting. A vehicle matching the description of a vehicle that the officers had just observed driving around slowly was reported as being involved in the shooting. A short time later, the officers again saw the same vehicle, a white Ford Fusion, run a stop sign without coming to a complete stop. The officers pulled over the vehicle, which was being driven by the defendant. As officers attempted to communication with Johnson, he drove away from the traffic stop at a high rate of speed. The officers engaged in a high-speed chase of the vehicle for several city blocks. The vehicle then crashed into a large tree and the defendant and three passengers ran from the vehicle. Johnson was taken into custody a short distance from the vehicle.

A loaded revolver was recovered in a garbage can near the car crash and a short distance from where the defendant was apprehended. More than 50 bags of crack cocaine were found in the defendant's pockets.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.