Lockport man gets 12 years in prison for role in fatal overdose of Medina resident
Press Release, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, Western District of New York
BUFFALO – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James White, 32, of Lockport, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and butryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that between March 2017 and March 2019, White conspired with Bruno Haney, II, and others, to sell heroin and butyryl fentanyl.
On March 24, 2017, White sold heroin that he received from Bruno to an individual identified as W.S. of Medina. Later that same day, W.S. was found dead after ingesting the heroin purchased from White. Text messages between White and W.S. on the evening of March 24, 2017, were recovered from W.S.’s cell phone. In the text messages, W.S. requested a “half bun” (5 doses) of heroin from White.
White was arrested on Jan. 22, 2019, by the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force and charged with felony manslaughter in the second degree. While incarcerated at the Orleans County Jail, White made a phone call to an unknown individual, during which he stated, “they are trying to say that back in 2017 I caught a body.” White further stated that he got “him” (W.S.) half a bundle from Bruno.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Drug Task Force and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott. Additional assistance was provided by the Niagara County and Orleans County District Attorneys’ Offices.
