ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that James Henry McAuley, Jr., 66, of Oakfield, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life, and a $4,000,000 fine. In addition, McAuley’s wife Donna Boon, 50, of Oakfield, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, methamphetamine, also before Judge Siragusa. That charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that between 2002 through July 9, 2010, McAuley - at the time a member and Vice President of the Rochester Hell’s Angels - was the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking network. In 2002, McAuley located a source of methamphetamine supply in the Monterey, California area. The defendant and other members of the conspiracy traveled to California on numerous occasions to obtain pound-size quantities of methamphetamine from the supplier they then transported or shipped from California to the Rochester area where another member of the conspiracy would sell it to their customers.
In April 2007, McAuley was arrested on federal racketeering charges in the Northern District of New York. After his arrest and incarceration, McAuley continued to maintain control over the methamphetamine trafficking operation. The defendant used another co-conspirator to arrange for obtaining quantities of methamphetamine from the Monterey, California-based source of supply. Other members of the conspiracy sold the methamphetamine to individuals in the Rochester area, Genesee County, and other locales. McAuley admitted to trafficking up to 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
McAuley’s wife, Donna Boon, distributed quantities of methamphetamine to others, including an individual in Genesee County, who further distributed the drugs to customers in the Genesee County area. Boon admitted to trafficking up to 30 grams of methamphetamine.
These pleas are part of a larger investigation that resulted in the indictment and arrest of members and associates of the Rochester and Monterey (California) Hell's Angels for drug trafficking and racketeering-related offenses in February 2012. Along with McAuley and Boon, Monterey (California) Hell's Angels President Richard W. Mar, and Jeffrey A. Tyler, were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Three other defendants -- Paul Griffin, Richard E. Riedman, and Gordon L. Montgomery - were convicted for their roles in the methamphetamine conspiracy. Judge Siragusa sentenced Griffin to probation and Riedman to 37 months in prison, Montomgery is awaiting sentencing.
Rochester Hell's Angels member Robert W. Moran, Jr., along with Gina Tata, are charged in the same indictment with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity, and Moran and Tata are charged with conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity. In addition, Tata is charged with being an accessory after the fact to the assault and conspiracy. Another defendant, Timothy M. Stone, was convicted and of being an accessory after the fact to the assault and conspiracy, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
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 culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam Cohen, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gary T. Maha, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Craig Hanesworth, the City of Batavia Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean Shawn Heubusch, and the Village of LeRoy Police Department.
Sentencing for McAuley and Boon is scheduled for May 24, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. respectively, both before Judge Siragusa.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
