Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 32-year-old Ronnie Powell of no permanent address pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns to one count of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, a Class “B” felony. The defendant pleaded guilty on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

The defendant was the target of a search warrant that was executed on July 13, 2018 by the Buffalo Police Department at an apartment on Hoyt Street in the City of Buffalo. As investigators entered the residence, the defendant attempted to barricade himself inside before running into an adjoining apartment, breaking the window and jumping from the second story of the building in an attempt to flee from police.

When he was arrested outside, officers found Powell in possession of packages of heroin, which lab tests determined to be laced with fentanyl, as well as cocaine packaged for sale.

Inside the apartment, police recovered a plastic shopping bag that contained powdered cocaine along with items used for the packaging of drugs.

Powell, a second felony offender, faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on Thursday, May 9, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. He remains remanded without bail.

DA Flynn commends the investigative work by the Buffalo Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Frank A. Strano of the DA’s Narcotics Unit and Assistant District Attorney Louis C. Mussari of the DA’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit.