Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County Sheriff's Office, in tandem with the Erie County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday the arrest of 42-year-old Anson Whitted following an investigation that also led to the seizure of narcotics and guns from his Grand Island residence.
Whitted has been a target of the Erie County Sheriff's Narcotics and Intelligence Unit since 2021 after the agency received anonymous complaints about his drug dealing activities throughout Erie County. Last month, the unit re-opened its investigation when the subject was identified as trafficking narcotics from his Carl Road residence in Grand Island.
"This is not a City of Buffalo problem, this is not really even an Erie County problem. This is a state problem and a national problem," said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia on Monday during a press briefing. "We continue to deal with people peddling these poisons in the community, and if cocaine and heroin weren't dangerous enough, now we have fentanyl as that cutting agent. Aside from that, as you see here, illegal handguns, multiple illegal handguns in the Town of Grand Island."
After being granted a search warrant for Whitted, his vehicle and his residence on Thursday, July 13, by Supreme Court Justice Betty Calvo-Torres, the ECSO Narcotics and Intelligence Unit went to work taking him into custody the next day.
ECSO Narcotics and Intelligence Unit personnel observed Whitted depart his residence in a vehicle operated by a female and with a two-year-old passenger. A traffic stop was initiated on Interstate I-190 near the Niagara Street exit, and he was taken into custody there.
While being transported to the Grand Island Substation, deputies observed the subject attempting to hide contraband in the rear of a marked patrol vehicle. Deputies exited the highway and stopped on Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda. It was there where deputies recovered a package containing approximately one-eighth ounce of cocaine and fentanyl.
At approximately 12:15 p.m. ET, while the traffic stop occurred, Narcotics personnel executed the search warrant for 98 Carl Road. Within the dwelling, detectives and deputies recovered two semi-automatic rifles - an AK-47 and an AR-15 (the AK-47 was stolen out of Garfield Heights, Ohio). Also recovered was a .40 caliber Glock handgun modified with a "switch," effectively transforming the weapon into a fully-automatic machine gun, a 9mm and .45 caliber handgun.
All the weapons recovered at the residence were loaded.
Also seized at the residence was a large cache of high-capacity magazines and ammunition. Additionally, approximately a half-kilo of crack cocaine, approximately 50 grams of fentanyl, and approximately $5,000 in U.S. currency were seized.
Whitted was arrested and charged with the following:
- One felony count of criminal possession of a controlled substance – eight ounces or more.
- Two felony counts of criminal possession of a narcotic with intent to sell.
- One felony count of criminal possession of a narcotic.
- One felony count of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
- One felony count of concealing physical evidence.
- One felony count of criminal possession of a weapon – five or more firearms.
- Four counts of criminal possession of a loaded firearm.
- One felony count of criminal possession of a machine gun.
- One felony count of criminal possession of stolen property – firearms.
- One misdemeanor count of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
- Three misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
"This is a dangerous man, this is a dangerous situation," said Erie County First Deputy District Attorney, Michael Keane on Monday. "This man has been charged with eight felonies and four misdemeanors. They're all serious, but the most significant of which is the A1 felony, the possession of the cocaine, as well as the fentanyl possession. The A1 felony carries with it a minimum life prison of 15-to-life to 25-to-life. We are confident that Mr. Whitted is going to be removed from the streets for a significant period of time and keep this community safe."
At this point, the Erie County District Attorney's Office continues to move forward with completing the investigation and then prosecuting Whitted.
Whitted is a three-time convicted felon, with two of those being violent felonies. He is currently being held without bail at the Erie County Holding Center.
Sheriff Garcia is thankful this arrest and investigation went off and resulted in the best-case scenario for his office.
"I can't say enough about Chief [DJ] Granville and his detectives, because you have all these weapons that are ready to go. He was taken down on the [I-190] without incident. You have fentanyl in the car, nobody got hurt, but you have a two-year-old, you have law enforcement in the house, you had an aggressive Pitbull. He was taken securely without any shots fired and so forth. And then all these weapons, thank God he was able to be taken down in his vehicle and not armed, because we just don't know what the result would have been from them," Garcia said.
The Erie County Crime Analysis Center assisted with intelligence gathering during the investigation, and the Erie County District Attorney's Office assisted with legal guidance.
The child and the female were released after the Sheriff's Office contacted Child Protective Services.
More from Monday's press briefing is available in the player below:
