Buffalo, N.Y. – In a grim conclusion to a case that shook the community, Jariel Cobb, also known as Doobie or Black, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a narcotics operation that led to a horrifying triple homicide. The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, as announced today by U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross.
Cobb, 52, of Buffalo, was convicted on multiple charges, including narcotics conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, the use of fire to commit a felony, and conspiracy to damage and destroy a vehicle used in interstate commerce by fire. His criminal activities, which started in 2014, involved the distribution of marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, using a property at 973 Fillmore Avenue as a base for these illegal operations.
The tragic events unfolded on September 15, 2019, when Cobb orchestrated the purchase of a kilogram of cocaine from suppliers Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon and Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred. The transaction took a deadly turn when Valentin-Colon, his wife Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, their minor son, and Roman-Audiffred arrived at a prearranged location. In a brutal series of actions, Roman-Audiffred was attacked and later dismembered, while Valentin-Colon and Merced-Plaud were shot dead in front of their child. The assailants then attempted to cover up the crime by setting the victims’ bodies and their vehicle on fire.