Buffalo, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr.
announced today that Todd E. Varney, 34, of Wellsville, who was convicted of
conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and to
distribute, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing
methamphetamine, was sentenced to 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge
Richard J. Arcara. In addition, Lionel C. Carter, a/k/a Skip, 61, of
Wellsville, who was convicted of a similar charge, was sentenced to 30 months
in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handled the case,
stated that between January of 2011 and October of 2014, Varney and Carter
engaged in the practice of “smurfing” (buying small quantities) at local
pharmacies to get around restrictions on purchasing products containing
pseudoephedrine, an important chemical necessary in the process of
manufacturing methamphetamine. The defendants purchased the products in order
to manufacture methamphetamine. Varney and Carter are two of 12 defendants convicted
in a methamphetamine manufacturing conspiracy in Allegany County. Six of the
defendants have been sentenced.
The sentencing’s are the culmination of an investigation on
the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special
Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the New York State
Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET), under the direction of
Lieutenant Kevin Reyes and Major David Krause; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan
Benedict, New York Division; the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under
the direction of Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb; the Wellsville
Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy O’Grady; U.S. Border
Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Steven Oldman; and the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, under the direction of
Captain John Burke.
