Celina Serva, also known as Ce Ce, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty on July 16 before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Buffalo, New York. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, law enforcement observed Serva driving a vehicle that arrived at a house known for drug activity on April 3, 2025. Serva exited her vehicle and approached the front door but returned quickly when officers pulled in behind her car. She then threw a bag back into her vehicle where four children and her mother were present. Authorities executed a federal search warrant on the vehicle and recovered 960 grams of methamphetamine from the bag.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler is prosecuting this case.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration under Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam (New York Field Division), Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force under Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone, Jamestown Police Department under Chief Scott Forster, and Ellicott Police Department under Chief Daniel Ingrao.
Sentencing for Serva is scheduled for January 11, 2027, at 2:00 p.m., before Judge Sinatra.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York prosecutes federal criminal violations across 17 counties in western New York; it operates under the United States Department of Justice with offices in Buffalo and Rochester and employs about 120 federal prosecutors and support staff while engaging with community groups to boost public safety, according to its official website.