(WNY News Now) – BUFFALO, N.Y. – A federal grand jury has indicted seven individuals for their alleged roles in a large-scale narcotics conspiracy involving cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced.
The indictment charges Winnie Taru Woods, 50, of Buffalo; Sharron McCullough, 34, of Brooklyn; Marlon Holt, Jr., 51, of Buffalo; Norman Patillo, 44, of Houston, Texas; Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr., 50, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago; Ian Dyer, 25, of Austin, Texas; and Shannell Gosine, 27, of Baytown, Texas. The defendants face charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances.
According to prosecutors, between April 2023 and February 2025, the defendants worked with Mexican cartels to transport and distribute narcotics across multiple states, including New York and Texas. Investigators allege that Woods and McCullough purchased bulk quantities of drugs for resale, with Gosine, Sr. serving as a source of supply in Mexico. The indictment states that Holt, Patillo, Dyer, and Shannell Gosine transported narcotics and cash across state lines.
Authorities highlight a key incident on May 7, 2024, when Holt was stopped in Ontario County, N.Y., and allegedly found in possession of nine kilograms of cocaine and 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Four of the defendants—Woods, McCullough, Gosine, Sr., and Patillo—were ordered detained following arraignment, while Holt, Dyer, and Shannell Gosine were released under conditions.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.
This case falls under “Operation Take Back America,” a federal initiative targeting drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Leave a Reply