ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Keith “Kiki" Ruther, 34, of Rochester, who was convicted of conspiring to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who is handling the case, stated that Ruther sold cocaine and supplied cocaine to several associates of a street crew that controlled the drug trade in the area of Mark Street and Hudson Avenue in the city of Rochester for several years. Ruther also possessed a firearm in connection with the drug trafficking offense.
Much of the street level drug activity occurred in plain view on the sidewalk in front of the Hello Hudson Mini Mart at 519 Hudson Avenue, as well as surrounding street corners and parking lots. The group also utilized rental apartments and abandoned houses from which they stored and sold cocaine and crack cocaine on a daily basis. Law enforcement responded to repeated citizen calls for service to combat open the air drug sales and shootings in the general area of Mark and Hudson Streets.
“This case is yet another example of our Office’s commitment to ridding the streets of our community of those who would harm it," said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “We stand ready, willing and able to assist our local partners in bringing the full weight of federal law enforcement against the most dangerous and violent criminals."
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Scott Heagney and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
