Police arrested a Little Valley man after investigators say he sold cocaine from his vehicle and then led deputies on a high-speed chase that topped 90 miles per hour.
Ronald D. Mitchell, 44, now faces a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, a crime that carries up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the charge Tuesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass is prosecuting the case.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement began investigating Mitchell in September 2025. Investigators identified him as a distributor of methamphetamine and cocaine in Cattaraugus County.
Just after midnight on September 17, investigators conducted surveillance in the Village of Little Valley. They say they saw Mitchell selling drugs inside his vehicle.
A Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s deputy then conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, Mitchell appeared very nervous and began sweating heavily, according to the complaint.
Deputies asked him to exit the vehicle. Instead, he fled, leading officers on a chase that exceeded 90 miles per hour.
Authorities say Mitchell eventually crashed into a tree in Ellicottville and ran from the scene.
Investigators recovered 52 grams of cocaine and a large amount of cash from the vehicle. They also found a bag along Route 242 that they believe Mitchell discarded after the crash.
That bag contained drug paraphernalia, 196 grams of cocaine and 472 grams of crystal methamphetamine, according to the complaint.
Mitchell appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and remains detained.
The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler and DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam oversee those agencies.
A criminal complaint is an allegation. Mitchell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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