A Buffalo man, Rashaun Crule, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to narcotics conspiracy and the distribution of fentanyl leading to two deaths. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson detailed that the indictment alleges Crule distributed fentanyl to two individuals, identified as M.M. and B.Y., in Amherst, New York, in February 2023. The victims reportedly believed they were buying cocaine but received pure fentanyl instead. After ingesting the substance, both individuals overdosed and died shortly thereafter. Their bodies were discovered several days later.
Investigations revealed that Crule had deleted all messages exchanged with one of the victims from his cell phone. Furthermore, about five months following the victims' deaths, Crule allegedly made light of the situation in a text conversation with another individual, laughing at comments about the potency of his fentanyl.
At the time of these events, Crule was serving probation for a prior felony drug conviction from Erie County in 2022.
The superseding indictment resulted from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Field Division and the Amherst Police Department.
It is important to note that being charged with a crime does not imply guilt; Crule is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.