Oneida County Resident Sentenced On Marijuana Charges

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Hon. Glenn T. Suddaby today sentenced Richard Williams, age 44, of Utica, New York, to thirty (30) months incarceration for his role in a marijuana conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.

Williams was arrested on June 24, 2014, when he took possession of a U.S. mail parcel containing four pounds of marijuana. Investigation revealed that over a several year period Williams had received numerous such parcels, all shipped from California. These parcels, all of which contained marijuana, were mailed from several different sources of supply in California. Investigation further revealed Williams paid approximately $8,000 to $10,000 for the marijuana in each parcel, which marijuana Williams thereafter sold, in smaller weights, to area customers.

Williams was charged with being a participant in a marijuana conspiracy between 2011 and 2014. On January 22, 2015, Williams pled guilty and admitted to distributing between 100 and 400 kilograms (220 and 880 pounds) of marijuana over the three year period.

After Williams serves his term of imprisonment, he will be placed on supervised release for three years.

The Williams case was investigated by agents and officers of the U.S. Postal Service, the Oneida County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The Williams case was prosecuted by AUSA Carl Eurenius and Oneida County District Attorney’s Office Bureau Chief and Special AUSA Grant Garramone.