W.D.N.Y. Loc. R. Crim. P. 7

(a) Upon filing of the indictment or information, each criminal case is assigned to

a Judge in either Buffalo (typically, cases arising in Allegany, Cattaraugus,

Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties), or

Rochester (typically, cases arising in Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario,

Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties). The assignment

within these areas shall ordinarily be by random selection. The Court may

transfer cases among Judges and/or within the District, sua sponte. Parties

requesting transfer of a case from Buffalo to Rochester, or vice versa, shall file

a written motion requesting such relief, returnable before the Judge to whom

the case is originally assigned.

(b) When a criminal case is related to one or more pending criminal cases, the

United States Attorney’s Office shall so indicate upon the filing of the

indictment, information, or criminal complaint, on the Criminal Case Related

Form. A criminal case shall be presumed to be related to another case when:

(1) the facts of each arise out of the same charged criminal scheme(s),

transaction(s), or event(s), even if the cases involve different defendants; (2)

the same criminal conduct is charged in an indictment and a violation of

probation or supervised release; (3) a district judge has previously handled

some aspect of the case at the criminal complaint stage, such as through an

appeal from a bail determination by a magistrate judge or review of a report

and recommendation concerning competency; or (4) the criminal case is related

to a pending civil forfeiture case. However, for purposes of this rule, a case is

not presumptively related to prior wiretap applications, motions in connection

with grand jury proceedings, or search warrant applications.