A federal jury has found Alphonso Payne, aka Ajay, 29, of Buffalo, NY, guilty of conspiracy to murder a federal informant, murdering a federal informant, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distributing cocaine, possessing with intent to distribute and distributing cocaine, conspiring to retaliate against a federal informant, retaliating against a federal informant, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence and a drug trafficking crime, and discharge of a firearm causing death in furtherance of crimes of violence and a drug trafficking crime.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch, Michael J. Adler, and Stacey Jacovetti, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that between approximately 2016 and August 20, 2019, Payne, co-defendant Gregory Hay, and others conspired to sell cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin.
The conspiracy began with Hay selling drugs in the Salamanca, NY, area, before moving his operation to the Olean area, where Payne assisted him with selling drugs.
After Gregory Hay’s house was searched on May 7, 2019, by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Buffalo Police Department, and illegal firearms were seized, Hay and Payne suspected Joshua Jalovick was a police informant.
In the early evening of July 1, 2019, Payne and Hay lured Jalovick into the backyard of 87 Freund, where Payne used to live. Once Jalovick was in the backyard, Payne shot him multiple times with a semi-automatic pistol in front of multiple witnesses.
Hay then stood over Jalovick and shot him an additional five times with a revolver. Payne and Hay murdered Joshua Jalovick to prevent him from testifying about their alleged drug trafficking crimes and Hay’s firearm crimes.
Gregory Hay was previously convicted of narcotics conspiracy, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and discharge of a firearm causing death in furtherance of crimes of violence and a drug trafficking crime and is awaiting sentencing.
In addition to defendants Payne and Hay, defendants Daeshawn Stevenson, Raejah Blackwell, Eric Brooks, and Roland Eady were also convicted for their roles in obstructing a grand jury’s investigation into Joshua Jalovick’s murder.
The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, who presided over the trial.
