A former postal manager in New York has pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges after using his position to steal controlled substances from the mail.
Ralph Minni, 54, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
The charges against Minni stem from his time as the Greece Post Office station manager, where he used his position to take parcels containing controlled substances, such as marijuana, out of the mail stream and into his private office. He would then remove the contents and return the empty packages back into the mail stream.
On three occasions in March and April of 2022, Minni distributed quantities of cocaine to a coworker, who then proceeded to snort the cocaine off Minni’s office desk in his presence. On May 2, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Minni’s residence during which investigators recovered quantities of marijuana, approximately 700 grams of cocaine, approximately 40 firearms, and over 19,000 rounds of ammunition.
According to the U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, Minni was arrested on May 2, 2022, after leaving the Greece Post Office. Officers recovered a quantity of marijuana from inside his vehicle, which he had removed from a mailed package and planned to take back to his residence for subsequent sale and distribution.
The investigation into Minni’s activities was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division, the Greece Police Department, and the New York State Police.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 13, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking