Buffalo man pleads guilty to selling fentanyl that resulted in two deaths

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Rashaun Crule, 32, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to distribution of fentanyl, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.

On February 10, 2023, Crule delivered a bag of fentanyl to an individual identified as M.M., at a location on Campus Drive in Amherst, NY. Within approximately 20 minutes of Crule delivering the fentanyl, M.M. did not communicate with anyone and was never seen alive again. On February 12, 2023, law enforcement officers arrived at the Campus Drive residence after receiving a 911 call from the mother of an individual identified as B.Y. The mother reported that she found a dead woman inside of her son's home. Law enforcement found M.M. and B.Y. slumped over in close proximity to the dining room table. Both were deceased. The Erie County Medical Examiner's office determined that the cause of death for both M.M. and B.Y. was acute intoxication with fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol. At the time, Crule was on probation for a 2022 felony drug conviction in Erie County.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2026, before Judge Arcara.

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