Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 60-year-old Rafael Rivera of Buffalo pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice Willaim M. Boller to two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.

On July 15, 2018, a Town of Tonawanda Police officer initiated a traffic stop on Delaware Road after witnessing the defendant make an illegal turn. The officer searched the vehicle after smelling marijuana and found 37 bags of heroin packaged for sale.

On August 22, 2018, while released on bail for the Town of Tonawanda arrest, the defendant was again arrested for possession of heroin with intent to sell. The Buffalo Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at the defendant’s home where investigators found 35 bags of heroin packaged for sale and drug paraphernalia commonly used to distribute heroin.   

Rivera faces a maximum of 9 years in prison when he is sentenced on Friday, February 1, 2019 at 9:30 a.m.

DA Flynn commends Officer Patrick Mc Donald of the Town of Tonawanda Police Department and Detectives Jose Lorenzo and William Drabik of the Buffalo Police Department Narcotics Unit for their thorough investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Justin T. Wallens of the DA’s Narcotics Unit.