A former Erie County assistant district attorney has pleaded guilty in federal court to a gun and drug charge.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A former assistant district attorney for Erie County on Thursday pleaded guilty to a gun and drug charge.
Delenci Shannon-Brown, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a firearm while unlawfully using controlled substances. He faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The charge stems from an investigation launched by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI in early July of 2024. The case involved both drug activity and the illegal possession of firearms while under the influence of drugs, prosecutors said.
On July 24, 2024, investigators conducted a controlled sale of K2/Spice involving Shannon-Brown. Later that afternoon, deputies stopped his vehicle.
Shannon-Brown was brought to the sheriff’s office, where he agreed to a sobriety test that determined he was under the influence of a controlled substance. He was subsequently arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs.
During a search of his vehicle, investigators recovered a pistol along with a bag containing K2/Spice. Two days later, on July 26, authorities executed a search warrant at Shannon-Brown’s Buffalo home.
During that search, officials seized 11.8 pounds of marijuana and another loaded pistol, along with a variety of documents, including court materials related to New York State Grand Jury minutes and a case file. Police also recovered “an Assistant District Attorney training manual, and numerous business cards identifying Shannon-Brown as an Erie County Assistant District Attorney.”
Court records indicated that Shannon-Brown admitted that between March of 2024 and July 26, 2024, he “used either marijuana or K2/Spice frequently” and possessed a firearm during that period, forming the basis for the federal charge.