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Press Release

Former Hell's Angels Member Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York
 

Rochester, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Richard E. Riedman, 40, of Webster, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute, methamphetamine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that the charges stemmed from a joint federal, state and local investigation, which revealed that the defendant was responsible for obtaining quantities of methamphetamine from drug suppliers, including fellow Rochester Hell’s Angels member James H. McAuley, Jr., and distributing those drugs to others in the Western District of New York between 2004 and 2010.

This case was 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 Riedman, Monterey (California) Hell's Angels President Richard W. Mar, Rochester Hell's Angels members James H. McAuley, Jr., of Oakfield, NY, and Jeffrey A. Tyler, of Rochester, NY, and Donna Boon, of Oakfield, NY, and Gordon L. Montgomery, of Batavia, NY, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Another defendant, Paul Griffin, of Blasdell, NY, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

McAuley, Rochester Hell's Angels member Robert W. Moran, Jr. a/k/a Bugsy, of Rochester, along with Gina Tata, of Rochester, are charged in the same indictment with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity. Moran and Tata are also charged with conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity, and Tata and Timothy M. Stone, of Gates, NY, are charged with being accessories after the fact to the assault and conspiracy.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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 Scott Crosier, 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 K. Hayward.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 24, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
Updated November 19, 2014