Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Selling Fentanyl That Led To A Death

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

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tyler Taylor, 28, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested after law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at 70 Texas Street in Rochester. During the search, officers recovered approximately 655 decks of fentanyl, materials consistent with the packaging of narcotics, and a firearm, among other contraband.

On May 3, 2018, Taylor sold fentanyl that led to the overdose death of an individual identified as S.M.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Heroin Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Larimer.

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