Two Men Sentenced On Meth Charges
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - James J. Hunt, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement (DEA), and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Todd E. Varney, 34, of Wellsville, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, was sentenced to 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. In addition, Lionel C. Carter, a/k/a Skip, 61, of Wellsville, NY, who was convicted of a similar charge, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handled the case, stated that between January of 2011 and October of 2014, Varney and Carter engaged in the practice of “smurfing” (buying small quantities) at local pharmacies to get around restrictions on purchasing products containing pseudoephedrine, an important chemical necessary in the process of manufacturing methamphetamine. The defendants purchased the products in order to manufacture methamphetamine.
Varney and Carter are two of 12 defendants convicted in a methamphetamine manufacturing conspiracy in Allegany County. Six of the defendants have been sentenced.
The sentencings are the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Division; the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement (CNET), under the direction of Lieutenant Kevin Reyes and Major David Krause; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Division; the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb; the Wellsville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy O’Grady; U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Steven Oldman; and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, under the direction of Captain John Burke.
