Hamburg Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Distribution, Firearm Possession
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his apartment where they found four bags of fentanyl, a loaded firearm, drug paraphernalia, and nearly $9,800 in cash.
A Hamburg man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison following his conviction on drug trafficking and firearm possession charges, authorities announced Thursday.
Michael Burnett, 40, received a 96-month sentence after being found guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo handed down the sentence.
According to prosecutors, Burnett was the subject of a joint investigation by the New York State Police and the Hamburg Police Department, which began looking into his suspected drug distribution activities in September 2022. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his apartment on Holiday Lane on February 1, 2023, where they found four bags of fentanyl, a loaded firearm, drug paraphernalia, nearly $9,800 in cash, and a gold and diamond necklace valued at approximately $23,900. Officials allege the necklace was acquired through drug proceeds.
Burnett has prior felony convictions in Erie County from 2010 and 2019, which legally prohibit him from possessing a firearm.
The investigation was led by the Hamburg Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division.