United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) New York Division and U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr., Western District of New York, announced today that Richard Himbury, 43, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to distribute over 15 kilograms of cocaine and 450 kilograms of marijuana, was sentenced to 121 months in prison by District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who handled the case, stated that between January 2010 and December 9, 2011, the defendant conspired with James Leon, Ricardo Garza, Daniel Garza and others, to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Ricardo Garza supplied the drugs to James Leon who then redistributed them to Himbury and others.

On November 15, 2011, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized approximately eight kilograms of cocaine and 100 pounds of marijuana from Himbury’s residence on St. Amelia Drive in Tonawanda. The seizure followed a vehicle pursuit of Himbury by federal agents on Route 20-A in Wales, NY. There, agents recovered four ounces of cocaine which Himbury threw out his car window during the chase.

James Leon, Ricardo Garza, and Daniel Garza have been convicted.

The sentencing is the result of a joint and continuing investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge, New York Division, Investigators from the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lawrence Eggert, the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome C. Uschold III, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Askey, the Erie County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard, the Lancaster Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gerald Gill, the Cattaraugus County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force.