United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Richard Lucas, 34, of Williamsville, NY, was convicted following a jury trial of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The defendant was also fined $60,000 and will forfeit approximately $30,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Emmanuel O. Ulubiyo, handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on May 15, 2017, investigators had search warrants for co-defendant Dominic Daniels and his vehicle. On that day, investigators were conducting surveillance and saw Daniels leave the Comfort Suites, in Cheektowaga, NY, with a blue bag and get into a white pick-up truck. After investigators observed Daniels meet with an individual on James Street in Buffalo, and engage in what appeared to be a narcotics transaction, Daniel’s vehicle was stopped and was searched. The search revealed approximately 744 grams of cocaine, a hotel key for a room rented by the defendant at the Comfort Suites, and approximately $16,000 in United States currency.

During a subsequent search of the hotel room rented by defendant, investigators seized approximately $33,000. Following Daniels’s arrest, Lucas arrived at the Comfort Suites, driving a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette. When he was approached by Erie County Sheriff’s deputies, he refused to comply with commands, resisted arrest, and then led one of the deputies on a chase through several parking lots, where he tried to carjack three vehicles. The defendant was eventually taken into custody at the intersection of the Kensington Expressway and Genesee Street by a Sheriff’s deputy and federal law enforcement officers. At the time of his arrest, Lucas was in the possession of nearly $70,000 in jewelry. Evidence presented by the Government at trial established that the defendant was obtaining cocaine from Houston and distributing it to customers in the Buffalo area.

Co-defendant Dominic Daniels was previously convicted and sentenced to serve five years in prison.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; and the New York State Police, under the direction Major Edward Kennedy.