Niagara Falls Man Indicted On Multiple Gun And Drug Charges

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Tywon Stephenson, 29, of Niagara Falls, NY, with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana; maintaining a drug-involved premises; possession of an unregistered short-barrel shotgun; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. The firearms charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, which would be imposed consecutive to the maximum possible penalty of 20 years the defendant faces on the drug charges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on April 24, 2017, Niagara Falls Police Officers and ATF Special Agents executed a search warrant of the defendant’s residence on 17th Street in Niagara Falls. They recovered a 12 gauge sawed-off shotgun, loaded with six bullets; a 9mm semiautomatic handgun; plastic containers commonly used for packaging of narcotics; a scale; and a bag of suspected marijuana.

The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and detained. 

The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Licata, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito. 

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.

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