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Falcon woman pleads guilty to sex-trafficking and drug charges | News, Sports, Work

Falcon woman pleads guilty to sex-trafficking and drug charges | News, Sports, Work

A female falconer will be jailed after she admitted sex trafficking to drug addicts as well as drug trafficking.

US Attorney Trini E. Ross announced that Cora Weddington, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. in conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and to obtain financial gain from trafficking. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.

Assistant US Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Maeve E. Huggins, who is prosecuting the case, said that between October and December 2022, Weddington conspired with Zaid Mendoza, known as Diamond, and Calvin O. Thomas to conduct a sex-trafficking operation. using two victims with drug addiction.

Waddington, Mendoza and Thomas sheltered the victims at a residence on W. Main Street in Falconer and provided them with food, clothing and a daily supply of heroin and fentanyl in exchange for them performing commercial sex acts for money. The proceeds went to Mendoza, who then provided Waddington with clothes, food, spending money, heroin and methamphetamine.

By using force and threatening to use force, the victims committed commercial sexual acts with both of them “in calls” at a W. Main Street residence, and “outgoing calls”. Waddington transported the injured to “outgoing calls”. Weddington, Mendoza and Thomas used the website Skipthegames.com to lure customers into their sex-trafficking scheme.

Weddington was also the mastermind, leader, manager and overseer of Mendoza’s drug-trafficking operation. She supplied heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine to the victims as well as to Mendoza’s other drug users. In October 2022, law enforcement officers stopped Weddington’s car, in which Mendoza was a passenger. Weddington had an outstanding warrant and was arrested. Officers seized methamphetamine from her, as well as a bag of fentanyl from Mendoza.

On December 7, 2022, a residence on West Main Street was searched and cash, drug paraphernalia, a semi-automatic handgun and several plastic bags containing drugs were seized.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department’s Narcotics Task Force, led by Chief Timothy Jackson; the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force under Sheriff James Quattron; the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miralia; Homeland Security Investigations led by Special Agent Erin Keegan; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under Special Agent in Charge Brian Miller, New York Field Division; Drug Enforcement Administration under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarantino III, New York Field Division; and the Ellicott City Police Department under Chief William Onmais Jr.

The effort is part of the Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, destroys, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using an interagency, prosecutorial-led, intelligence-led approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at

Also assisting in this investigation is the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force, a multidisciplinary task force that brings together law enforcement and social services to identify and investigate human trafficking using a victim-centered and trauma-informed response, was also a part of this investigation. effort.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2025 before Judge Sinatra.