U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross has announced the sentencing of Michael Pryor, 27, from Niagara Falls, NY. Pryor was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of fentanyl near public housing property. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo sentenced him to 36 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch explained that between June and October 21, 2022, Pryor collaborated with co-defendants Shawn Pryor, Cameron Lee, and others in selling cocaine. Identified as members or associates of the Crips Gang, they supported each other by exchanging drugs for resale when needed.
On October 7, 2022, Michael Pryor sold fentanyl to an undercover officer within 1,000 feet of Anthony Spallina Towers, a property owned by the Niagara Falls Municipal Housing Authority. During this period, he also sold cocaine and crack cocaine to law enforcement personnel involved in the investigation.
Furthering the conspiracy on October 16, 2022, Michael Pryor and his accomplices assaulted a rival drug dealer at a convenience store on Ashland Avenue in Niagara Falls. The altercation resulted in injuries to the victim who sustained a laceration and a chipped wrist bone.
Shawn Pryor and Cameron Lee have already been convicted for their roles in these activities.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations across the United States through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies.
The investigation leading to this sentencing was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force led by Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, alongside the Niagara Falls Police Department under Superintendent Nick Ligammari and the Niagara County Sheriff's Office led by Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
