Rochester streets just got a little safer — Bruce King, 48, is headed to federal prison for 97 months after being caught red-handed with drugs and a sawed-off rifle. The conviction, handed down by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, marks the end of a case rooted in plain, dangerous criminal behavior.
King, of 161 Conkey Avenue in Rochester, NY, was arrested on October 19, 2015, during a search conducted by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. What officers found inside his home wasn’t just suspicious — it was textbook drug trafficking. Buried in a backpack: a brown paper bag packed with plastic capsules of marijuana, ready to move on the street.
But it was what came next that turned a drug bust into a federal firearms case. Tucked away with the stash: a .22 caliber rifle — modified, illegal, and loaded. The barrel and stock had been shortened, making it a sawed-off rifle, a weapon so dangerous it’s required by law to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. King never bothered. Two boxes of .22 caliber ammunition were found nearby.
Also recovered during the search: drug trafficking paraphernalia — the kind of telltale tools dealers use to weigh, package, and distribute narcotics. This wasn’t personal use. This was business — illegal, armed, and operating in plain sight.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan and built through a joint investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the Rochester Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci, Chief Michael Ciminelli, and Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict oversaw their respective teams in taking King off the streets.
U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced the sentencing, underscoring the federal crackdown on violent drug offenders who arm themselves. For Bruce King, the math is simple: 97 months behind bars, no room for appeal — just the cold reality of choices made in the shadows of Conkey Avenue.
RELATED: Nixon Gets 26 Months for Kidnapping Daughter, Fleeing to Canada
Related Federal Cases
- King Convicted in Mafia-Linked Drug Ring · New York
- Benefit & Tax Cheat Gets 37 Months · New York
- Attorney General James Clears COs in King Crittenden Death · New York
- Bausch and Lannett Hit with $17.85M Fine for Generic Drug Price Fixing · New York
- Central NY Drug Ring Busted: 17 Face Charges · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
