Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A City of Buffalo employee was arrested Thursday following a joint eight-month investigation between the Erie County Sheriff's Office (ECSO), the FBI and the Buffalo Police Department.
50-year-old Bernard Brown of Buffalo, who works with the Department of Public Works, was arrested after Erie County Sheriff's Office personnel received information eight months ago from confidential sources that Brown was storing and selling large quantities of cocaine in the city and throughout Erie County.
Fast forward to Thursday, detectives from the ECSO Narcotics and Intelligence Unit, assisted by Buffalo Police Intelligence Unit and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, initiated surveillance in the vicinity of 2811 Bailey Avenue at approximately 3:45 p.m. EST. Law enforcement observed the target vehicle on location in the parking lot located at 2811 Bailey Avenue.
Brown then was seen departing his vehicle and proceeded to 99 Montclair Street, where he was was observed entering the residence and departing a short time later. After proceeding directly back to the parking lot, Brown was quickly detained without incident just before 7 p.m. EST.
Search warrants were obtained by the honorable Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case for the residence located at 99 Montclair Street, as well as 672 Northamptom Street, Brown's vehicle, and any other person therein or thereat.
During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement obtained the following items of evidentiary value:
- Inside the vehicle were in excess of eight ounces of suspected cocaine - (suspected two kilograms).
- Inside 99 Montclair Street were in excess of eight ounces of suspected cocaine - (suspected six kilograms).
- Inside 672 Northampton Street were in excess of eight ounces of suspected cocaine, scales, and packaging materials.
"We're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine here in front of you," said D.J. Granville, Chief of Narcotics with the Erie County Sheriff's Office. "This stuff doesn't happen overnight. This was a long-term investigation, approximately eight months it took to nail this thing down. And again, it was teamwork, a lot of surveillance, a lot of time away from our families. A lot of these investigators are very dedicated. Touching on surveillance, all kinds were used - electronic surveillance, physical ground surveillance, air surveillance, including our helicopter that helped out this investigation - and we're just happy to take these individuals off the street."
It is believed that around $200,000 worth of suspected cocaine was gathered from the arrest.
Brown was transported to the Erie County Holding Center, where he was remanded. He's facing the following charges in Buffalo City Court:
- Three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (Class “A” felony).
- Three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Class “B” felony).
- Two counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree (Class “A” misdemeanor).
Brown is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. EST for a felony hearing. If convicted of the highest charge, Brown faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Following his arrest, a City of Buffalo spokesperson told WBEN that Brown has been suspended without pay.
"At no time do we believe that any of his wrongdoing was committed while he was working [on the clock] for the city," Granville said. "And in no way, shape or form should this reflect all the good workers, men and women with the City of Buffalo. This is just one bad apple that we took off the street, and he was flying under the radar. Not anymore."
The Sheriff's Office is also asking for the public's assistance in locating a wanted individual in relation to a large fentanyl and illegal weapons seizure.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Naim Tabb, 24, charging him with:
- Criminal Possession of a Narcotic Drug in the First Degree (Class "A1" felony).
- Criminal Possession of a Narcotic Drug in the Second Degree (Class "A2" felony).
- Criminal Possession of a Narcotic Drug in the Third Degree (Class "B" felony).
- Criminal Possession of a Loaded Weapon in the Second Degree (Class "C" felony).
- Various other narcotics-related charges.
During the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 27, after a brief narcotics investigation led by the ECSO Narcotics and Intelligence Unit, assisted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Buffalo Police Department, ECSO personnel attempted to arrest Tabb on Sage Avenue in Buffalo after observing him sell fentanyl to another individual.
Tabb fled the scene in a vehicle and was unable to be located. A short time later, ECSO Narcotics and Intelligence personnel executed an Erie County Search Warrant signed by Judge Kenneth Case at Tabb’s residence, located at 131 Sage Avenue. ECSO personnel recovered a large quantity of fentanyl, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and a Ruger FN 5.7 pistol loaded with armor-piercing bullets.
"Last year, we had a record-high overdose tally. Men and women throughout Erie County, doesn't matter the socioeconomic status, where they live in the county, record highs. So far this year, we've had 371 confirmed or suspected overdose deaths. That's 20% higher than last year, and today's Dec. 1. So we're on a record pace," said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia on Friday. "This is what it's all about. It's about us going after the people peddling this poison out on our streets. It's a public health issue, and it's an issue we are going to aggressively go after."
For Tabb, this is not his first run-in with law enforcement, as he is facing two other pending cases with the Erie County District Attorney's Office.
"One is a gun case, for which he's charged with a 'C' violent felony - Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree - and another case involving the Possession of a Controlled Substance, again, fentanyl in that case," said First Deputy District Attorney, Michael Keane on Friday. "We've been in touch with his attorney, and hopefully we can get him to turn himself in without anybody getting hurt. But we're in the process of working through that now. We hope to have him in custody soon and take him off the streets, as well."
Keane adds Tabb was arrested for those two indictments and was able to post $75,000 bail, despite the Erie County District Attorney's Office requesting him to be remanded.
Law enforcement officials do consider Tabb to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who may know his whereabouts or have more information is encouraged to contact the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
