BUFFALO, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that
Dion Anderson, Melvin Calhoun, Toshia Hodge, and Anquensha Hodge, all of Buffalo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that between 2000 and February 2012, the defendants participated in a family run drug trafficking organization headed by family matriarch and grandmother Theresa Anderson. The organization controlled drug sales on Swinburne and Deshler Streets in the City of Buffalo. The defendants sold crack cocaine on a daily basis in the neighborhood. In order to monopolize narcotics sales in the area, Theresa Anderson, who pleaded guilty on July 2, 2013, threatened and intimidated rival narcotics traffickers and even purchased several homes in the area which were used for selling and storing the illegal narcotics.
The defendants and Anderson were arrested in February 2012 along with Steven Butler, Wymiko Anderson, Tajia Anderson, and Leo Mellerson. Five of these are either children or grandchildren of Anderson. A sixth defendant is Anderson's husband and the two others are boyfriends of Andersons' daughters. Today's guilty pleas bring the total number of defendants convicted to eight. Charges against Leo Mellerson are still pending.
The pleas are the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Brian R. Crowell, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto.
Dion Anderson will be sentenced on Oct. 21, 2013; Melvin Calhoun on Oct. 22, 2013; Anquensha Hodge will be sentenced on Oct. 23, 2013; and Toshia Hodge will be sentenced on Oct. 24, all before Judge Arcara.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
