10/16/2026
Niagara Falls man going to prison for more than 16 years for distributing fentanyl that led to a death
Thursday, October 15, 2026
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael Paonessa, 36, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution, of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 198 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
On the evening of April 28, 2023, Paonessa and his girlfriend, identified as R.A., went to dinner at a restaurant in downtown Buffalo. The investigation determined that R.A. asked Paonessa for drugs and he promised to give her with some, which he had done on multiple occasions during their relationship, including on two occasions in March and April 2023, which resulted in non-fatal overdoses. Paonessa and R.A. stayed at the restaurant until approximately 2:00 a.m. on April 29th, before returning to R.A.’s Sheridan Drive apartment in Tonawanda, NY. In the early morning hours of April 29, R.A. suffered a fatal overdose, which was caused by consuming the fentanyl that Paonessa had given her. Paonessa was at the apartment before and after R.A. passed away and knew that she had passed away. He ultimately left the apartment at approximately noon, without alerting authorities to her death. As Paonessa drove away, he sent a text from his phone to R.A.’s phone telling her that he had just woken up and asked R.A. to call him. Paonessa sent the text to make it appear that he was not with R.A. the prior evening. On that same morning of April 29, R.A.’s family members became concerned because she had not responded to texts or phone calls. A short time after Paonessa left R.A.’s apartment at noon, R.A.’s family members arrived at her apartment and found her body.
In addition, Paonessa was caught in possession of controlled substances on multiple occasions in 2023. On March 25, 2023, law enforcement recovered approximately eight grams of co***ne, 23 grams of fentanyl, $16,795 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded magazine. On May 30 and June 7, 2023, law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases from Paonessa. In September of 2023, Paonessa was arrested and law enforcement recovered approximately 35 grams of fentanyl, approximately nine grams of co***ne, cash and a digital scale.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler. The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, To***co, Fi****ms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, and the Niagara County Drug Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
