Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 30-year-old Marquel Alexander of Buffalo has been sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice Russell P. Buscaglia to 8 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.

On July 18, 2017, narcotics officers from the Lackawanna and Buffalo Police Departments executed a search warrant on Erb Street in the City of Buffalo. Officers recovered over 11 ounces of cocaine from under the back siding of the residence. They also recovered a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a digital scale from a garbage tote in the back yard. The defendant was seen leaving the backyard as officers approached. Laboratory analysis concluded that the defendant’s DNA was present on the drug packaging and the pistol.

In March 2019, Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a Class “A” felony, and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class “C” violent felony. Both counts were the highest possible charges that could have been proven at trial.

DA Flynn commends the Lackawanna and Buffalo Police Department Narcotics Units for their work in this investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James W. Mansour, II of the DA’s Narcotics Unit and Assistant District Attorney Meredith M. Mohun of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau.