Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 23-year-old Erik Arias has been sentenced to three years in prison and two years post release supervision by Erie County Court Judge Kenneth F. Case on a heroin possession charge. 

In May of 2016, Arias pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. His 40-year old mother Erika Brown pleaded guilty to felony heroin possession and sale charges. 

On February 26, 2016, Buffalo police arrested mother and son after executing a search warrant on their home and recovering 970 baggies of heroin.  

Erika Brown was sentenced in June to three years in jail and two years post-release supervision by Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case. 

Acting DA Flaherty commends the investigative work of Buffalo Police Narcotics Detectives John Garcia and Shawn Adams. 

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John P. Gerken, Jr., who is assigned to Acting DA Flaherty’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit.