BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Tony Peebles, 30, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and RICO conspiracy, was sentenced to 295 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that from in or before 2000, through in or about 2010, Tony Peebles was a member and associate of the 10th Street Gang, that operated within a specifically defined geographic area on the west side of the City of Buffalo, New York. 10th Street Gang members routinely guarded that territory and resorted to acts of violence, if necessary, to insure that no rival gang members or narcotics dealers encroached upon their territory to sell drugs, or for any other reason.
Peebles admitted that he conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, significant quantities of cocaine base and marijuana, and that he possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kennedy characterized Peebles as extremely violent and a prolific shooter. AUSA Tripi, the lead prosecutor on the case, detailed eight different shootings in which Peebles participated:
• On or about June 15, 2007, Peebles, along with other 10th Street Gang members, shot and injured two rival gang members in the City of Buffalo.
• On or about Aug. 11, 2009, Peebles drove another 10th Street Gang member to the vicinity of 102 Pennsylvania, Buffalo, New York, where such individual fired several rounds into an occupied residence.
• On the following day, Aug. 12, 2009, Peebles met with other members of the 10th Street Gang in order plan to retaliate against rival gang members for the murder of Peebles’s younger brother. Peebles and other members of his gang, walked to 211 Bird Avenue, Buffalo, New York, where Peebles and another shot an individual nine times in an attempt to cause the death of such individual. Though the shooting victim did not die, the individual did sustain life-threatening bodily injuries as a result of the shooting.
• One day later, on Aug. 13, 2009, near 893 Prospect Avenue, Buffalo, New York, Peebles shot another individual who was a rival gang member several times with a firearm. Such individual sustained bodily injury as a result of the shooting.
• On the next day, Aug. 14, 2009, in the vicinity of Auburn Avenue and Dewitt, Buffalo, New York, Peebles and another 10th Street Gang member shot and sought to kill two victims.
• On or about Aug. 17, 2009, in the Western District of New York, Peebles, along with two other 10th Street Gang members, drove a stolen car to the vicinity of 82 Virginia, Buffalo, New York, and fired numerous times at a rival gang member in an attempt to kill such rival gang member.
• On or about Oct. 17, 2009, Peebles drove his girlfriend’s car, with several other 10th Street Gang members to the vicinity of Plymouth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, in Buffalo. Peebles pulled the vehicle alongside an individual and stopped the car while one of his passengers shot the victim until the firearm was out of ammunition. The victim sustained life-threatening bodily injury as a result of the shooting.
• Finally, on or about November 8, 2009, near 29 Ripley in Buffalo, Peebles, along with other 10th Street Gang members, went to a residence where one of the gang members fired out of the passenger side window of the vehicle that Peebles was driving multiple times with an AR-15. An individual, who was shot numerous times, survived despite sustaining life-threatening bodily injuries as a result of the shooting.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Steven Nigrelli, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
