BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tasheka Stalling, 30, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who handled the case, stated that between November 2015 and Jan. 26, 2017, the defendant conspired with her husband, Jermaine Ellison to sell crack cocaine.
Between Nov. 12, 2015, and June 20, 2016, investigators conducted six controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Ellison. On Aug. 30, 2016, Ellison was ordered into state custody by a Niagara County Court Judge to begin serving a previously imposed state sentence. While Ellison was being held in the Green Correctional Facility, Stalling conspired with him to continue selling crack cocaine to his customers in Niagara County. Stalling utilized Ellison’s cellphone contacts in order to communicate with buyers to distribute the crack cocaine. During their conspiracy, Stalling and Ellison discussed details related to the ongoing sales over recorded telephone calls from the correctional facility. Investigators made a total of 16 controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Stalling.
As part of this investigation, Jermaine Ellison was also convicted federally and previously sentenced to serve 82 months in federal prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Acting Sheriff Michael Filicetti; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major James Hall; and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, under the direction of Chief George Gast. #
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
