Lockport man sentenced for his role in drug conspiracy that led to overdose death

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James White, 32, of Lockport, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that between March 2017, and March 2019, White conspired with Bruno Haney, II, and others, to sell heroin and butyryl fentanyl. On March 24, 2017, White sold heroin that he received from Bruno to an individual identified as W.S. Later that same day, W.S. was found dead after ingesting the heroin purchased from White. Text messages between White and W.S. on the evening of March 24, 2017, were recovered from W.S.’s cell phone. In the text messages, W.S. requested a “half bun” (5 doses) of heroin from White.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the  Niagara County Drug Task Force and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott. Additional assistance was provided by the Niagara County and Orleans County District Attorneys’ Offices.  

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