BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Anthony J. Alello Jr., 32, of Albion, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2022, an undercover FBI agent began communicating with Alello online using the Kik application. During these communications, Alello sent the agent links to cloud storage folders that contained child pornography. One folder contained approximately 2,484 videos of child pornography, and another folder contained approximately 45 videos of child pornography. On March 24, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Alello’s residence and seized his cellular telephone. A subsequent forensic examination recovered approximately 1,744 images and six videos of child pornography, some of which depicted pre-pubescent children and violence against children.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 22, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Vilardo