Buffalo Resident Sentenced to Prison for Bribery and Drug Crimes
Rudolph Dwight Hanchard, 39, a Jamaican national living in Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official and attempt to possess with intent to distribute marijuana before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Hanchard received mail parcels from California and Arizona containing marijuana for sale in Buffalo, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who is handling the case.
Hanchard’s associates included then-postal carrier Briana Fugate, who ensured the delivery of the defendant’s packages. In addition to receiving his own parcels containing marijuana, Hanchard paid Fugate for more marijuana worth approximately $30,000. Fugate stole the marijuana from other mail parcels as part of her delivery route.
The arrangement spanned from August to October 2015. Fugate was convicted for accepting bribes to help deliver shipments of illegal drugs, distribution of marijuana, and delay of mail.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Shelly Binkowski; and the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Monica Weyler, Eastern Area Field Office, Philadelphia, PA.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 5, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Vilardo. Hanchard’s actions demonstrate the serious consequences of engaging in bribery and drug crimes, and this case serves as a reminder of the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to combat these types of crimes.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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