A Paterson, New Jersey man was sentenced on April 20 to more than six years in prison for trafficking firearms and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said.
Tony “Red” Crowe, age 33, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to charges including dealing firearms without a license, being a felon in possession of firearms, and distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, an undercover law enforcement agent purchased several firearms—including AR- and AK-style rifles—and multiple kilograms of fentanyl from Crowe over several months. Authorities said Crowe profited thousands of dollars from these illegal activities.
In addition to the prison sentence of 76 months, Judge Kiel ordered Crowe to serve three years of supervised release after his imprisonment. The investigation involved special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Newark Field Division and officers with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which brings together law enforcement agencies at all levels with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. According to the official website, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey advances community safety through such coordination efforts as well as crime prevention programs.
This prosecution also falls under the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), a partnership among federal, state, county, and city agencies formed in 2020 specifically to address violent crime in Paterson by pooling resources for prosecuting offenders who threaten public safety.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey handles federal prosecutions statewide with offices in Newark, Trenton and Camden according to its official website. The office staffs about 170 attorneys and support personnel across these locations according to its official website.
The office traces its establishment back to 1789 according to its official website, has alumni who include federal judges and senators according to its official website, prosecutes federal crimes ranging from terrorism to public corruption while representing the United States in civil matters statewide according to its official website. It operates as part of the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website.
