Former Rochester Amerk Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Trafficking

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Sean McMorrow, 29, of Toronto, Canada, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, marijuana. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett A. Harvey and Douglas E. Gregory, who are handling the case, stated that McMorrow, a former professional hockey player, played for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League from 2003 through 2006. From 2003 to April 2005, McMorrow was involved in the importing of large quantities of marijuana from Canada into the United States over the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, and distributing the marijuana to others in the Western District of New York. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant, on numerous occasions, obtained large quantities of marijuana from a supplier in Toronto and then transported the marijuana, concealed in hockey bags inside his sport utility vehicle, over the border. Also as part of the conspiracy, McMorrow used various individuals, including two women, to act as drug couriers. McMorrow organized and supervised the trips by the drug couriers, providing them with money to smuggle into Canada, loading their vehicles with marijuana, driving across the Rainbow Bridge ahead of the couriers in an effort to avoid detection by law enforcement authorities, retrieving the marijuana from the couriers on the United States side of the border, and paying the couriers for their services.

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 Christopher M. Piehota.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 11, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. EST, in Rochester, N.Y., before of Judge Larimer.