Hell’s Angels Member Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

Rochester, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced that JAMES HENRY McAULEY, JR., 67, of Oakfield, New York, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to 300 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.  McAuley was also prohibited by Judge Siragusa from being a member of or
associating with the Hell’s Angels for five years after his release from prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that from 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 operating in the Western District of New York.  In 2002, McAuley located a source of methamphetamine supply in the Monterey, California area.  McAuley and other members of the conspiracy traveled to California on numerous occasions to obtain pound-size quantities of methamphetamine from the supplier.  The methamphetamine would then be 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 from the Northern District of New York.  After his arrest and incarceration, McAuley continued to direct the methamphetamine trafficking operation.  McAuley 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.  The conspiracy continued until July 2010.  McAuley admitted to trafficking up to 15 kilograms (more than 30 pounds) of methamphetamine.

This case is 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.  Seven defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. All of the defendants – McAuley, Richard W. Mar,
64, the President of the Monterey Hell’s Angels in California; Donna Boon, 50, McAuley’s wife, of Oakfield, New York; Rochester Hell’s Angels member Richard E. Riedman, 42, of Webster, New York; Gordon Montgomery, 57, of Batavia, New York; Rochester Hell’s Angels member Jeffrey A. Tyler, 51, of Rochester, New York; and Paul Griffin, 62, of Blasdell, New York – have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking offenses based on their roles in the methamphetamine conspiracy.   Judge Siragusa sentenced Griffin to probation, Riedman to 37 months in prison, Montgomery to 60 months in prison, Tyler to 18 months in prison, and Boon to 3 years probation and 12 months of home incarceration.  Mar is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16, 2016, in front of Judge Siragusa.

Rochester Hell's Angels member Robert W. Moran, Jr. a/k/a Bugsy, 61, of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity on February 24, 2016, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.  Gina Tata, 52, of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid  of  racketeering  activity,  on  February  24,  2016,  and  was  sentenced  to  3  years probation.  Another defendant, Timothy M. Stone (age 36), of Gates, New York, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the assault, and was sentenced on February 5,
2016, by Judge Siragusa to 12 months in prison.

The plea was 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 James Hunt, the New York State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Joseph D’Amico, the City of Batavia Police Department, under the direction of Chief Shawn Heubusch, and the Village of LeRoy Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher Hayward.