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Two Jamestown residents have found themselves sentenced as part of a fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine ring that was trafficking illegal drugs throughout Western New York.
Letitia James, state attorney general, recently announced guilty pleas and sentences in the drug ring. The investigation was led by the Office of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force and recovered nearly one kilogram of cocaine worth $30,000, more than one-half pound of methamphetamine worth $1,500, more than one ounce of fentanyl worth $1,600, and $4,000 in cash. All seven defendants were indicted in February 2025 and have since pleaded guilty.
The central figures of the trafficking operation will serve up to 10 years in state prison.
"Drug traffickers who flood our communities with deadly fentanyl and opioids threaten the safety of all New Yorkers," James said. "I thank my partners in law enforcement for their commitment to safeguarding our streets and protecting New Yorkers from dangerous illegal drugs. My office will continue fighting to dismantle drug trafficking rings that spread violence and addiction."
The investigation revealed that the central figure in the trafficking network, Ronnie Dupree, purchased large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from Dion Anderson, Kenneth Pringle, Antwain Jackson, and others. Dupree and Jackson traveled from Buffalo to Jamestown to meet customers and make sales. The sales were arranged over the phone, and meetings took place at various locations throughout Western New York. Anderson sold cocaine out of his home in Buffalo and provided cocaine to David Vaughn and others. The investigation included a search of Anderson's home, which recovered over half a pound of cocaine, a scale with cocaine residue, and more than $4,000 in cash. Other members of the trafficking network, including Devan Huntington and Sabrina Leeper, sourced various types of drugs from Jackson, including methamphetamine.
The investigation also included court-authorized wiretapping of cellular telephones. During the investigation, wiretaps captured numerous conversations between the defendants, who frequently used coded and cryptic terminology in an attempt to disguise their illicit activities, such as referring to cocaine as "soft," "hard," or "girl," fentanyl as "food" or "boy," and methamphetamine as "cream."
The seven defendants charged have all pleaded guilty and six have been sentenced in Erie County Court before Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes. As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants admitted to their roles as purchasers and distributors of large amounts of illegal drugs:
– Dion Anderson, 46, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in November 2025 to two counts of second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance (class A-II felonies) and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. During his guilty plea, Anderson admitted to selling cocaine. He was sentenced on March 27, 2026, to eight years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
– Ronnie Dupree, 49, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in November 2025 to two counts of second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance (class A-II felonies) and second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (a class A-II felony). As part of his plea, he admitted to selling cocaine. He was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
– Devan Huntington, 32, of Jamestown pleaded guilty in November 2025 to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. As part of his plea, he admitted to possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell. He is still awaiting sentencing.
– Antwain Jackson, 50, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in June 2026 to second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance (a class A-II felony). As part of his guilty plea, he admitted to selling methamphetamine. He was sentenced on Sept. 29 to six years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
– Sabrina Leeper, 52, of Jamestown pleaded guilty in September 2025 to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. As part of her plea, she admitted to selling methamphetamine. She was sentenced on Jan. 15 to five years of probation.
– Kenneth Pringle, 52, of Niagara Falls pleaded guilty in September 2025 to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. As part of his plea, he admitted to selling cocaine. He was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2025, to seven years in prison followed by three years of post-release supervision.
– David Vaughn, 28, of Buffalo pleaded guilty in November 2025 to third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. During his guilty plea, he admitted to possessing cocaine with intent to sell. He was sentenced on May 20 to five years of probation.
According to the sealed indictment, Dupree procured controlled substances for Anderson, Jackson, Pringle and others to redistribute, with Anderson also acting as a supplier. Jackson, according to the indictment, then supplied Huntington and Leeper with drugs that they would sell. Among the wiretaped communications, according to the indictment, Huntington ordered methamphetamine from Jackson in August 2024, with Leeper and Jackson then involved in communications later that day to have Leeper supply Huntington with methamphetamine.
Then, on Sept. 1 and Sept. 2, 2024, Huntington told Jackson he would send money Huntington owed for methamphetamine Jackson had previously supplied to Huntington. On Sept. 3, additional conversations took place, according to the indictment, in which Leeper apprised Jackson of efforts to meet with Huntington so she could supply Huntington with the methamphetamine. On Sept. 25, Huntington traveled to a Bryant Street, Buffalo, address to get the methamphetamine from Jackson.
The indictment then states that on Oct. 3, 2024, Jackson and Leeper met in a parking lot in Chautauqua County, “in furtherance of their controlled substance trafficking activities.”
A short time after the incident described in the sealed indictment, Huntington was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (large capacity feeding device), third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (possesses three or more firearms) and criminal possession of a firearm after his vehicle was pulled over by officers of the Jamestown Police Department's K-9 Unit on Prather Avenue near Prospect Street for several alleged multiple moving violations. During the course of the investigation it was determined that Huntington was allegedly in possession of two loaded pistols, an unloaded pistol and a large capacity feeding device. Police report Huntington does not have a valid pistol permit and is not allowed to possess the firearms.
In February 2025, Huntington was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence after a traffic stop. Police say upon arrival at the city jail, Huntington was allegedly found in possession of a large quantity of methamphetamine that he had been concealing on his person while he then tried to allegedly destroy the evidence by ripping the bags of methamphetamine and throwing them on the ground. In total, officers recovered 51.3 grams of methamphetamine as a result of the investigation. The federal charges were announced a short time after that arrest.
"These convictions and sentences send an unmistakable message: those who profit from poisoning our communities will be identified, pursued, and held accountable," said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. "These drug traffickers turned communities across Western New York into marketplaces for fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, putting lives at risk with every sale. These individuals operated under the false belief that coded language and secret transactions would shield them from law enforcement. They were wrong. The sentences mark the conclusion of a 19-month prosecution, following a joint investigation led by the OCTF in partnership with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Niagara Falls Police Department.
The New York State Army National Guard Counter Drug Task Force was also part of the investigation.