A mother and her son have pleaded not guilty in Erie County Court on charges of possessing almost 1,000 bags of heroin inside their West Side home.
Last month, authorities executed a search warrant at the home of 22 year-old Erik Arias and his mother, 40 year old Erika Brown.
Prosecutors say they had more than 970 bags of heroin in the house.
"That is 970 opportunities for someone to die," said Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Flaherty.
Flaherty and his staff are seeking the maximum penalty for drug dealers, who are fueling the opioid and heroin epidemic in Western New York.
"We're taking a very harsh look at dealers with opioids attempting to get the maximum penalty because they're dealing poison."
Arias and Brown are being held on $250,000 bail. They will be back in court next month.
