BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Richard Dwyer, 28, of Barker, N.Y., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import alpha-PVP, a synthetic narcotic, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both.
According to Assistant U.S Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who is handling the case, the defendant, along with his wife Erin Dwyer and David Jackson, conspired to import the synthetic narcotics from China using the Internet. The packages were then delivered to the defendant via the United States Postal Service.
Charges against Erin Dwyer and David Jackson are pending. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Shelly Binkowski,
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
