Wayne McDaniels, 42, of Rochester, New York, has been sentenced to 144 months in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentencing was handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath explained that the case stems from a November 2022 search warrant executed at McDaniels’ apartment on Maria Street. During the search, law enforcement officials seized over 400 individually packed bags of fentanyl, large amounts of bulk fentanyl and cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and two loaded firearms.
The investigation into McDaniels was part of a broader effort targeting a group suspected of selling fentanyl and crack cocaine from multiple locations over several years. Authorities identified McDaniels as one of the leaders within this group. The probe also revealed that one location associated with the group—a Jay Street residence—was where McDaniels’ six-month-old nephew died from a fentanyl overdose on August 1, 2022.
“This sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of David Cirencione, and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET),” said DiGiacomo.
