Police Blotter

Bryce L. Thompson, 24, of Cornwall Island, Ont. was ticketed by Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police for inadequate tail lights at 11:47 p.m. Wednesday, February 5 on state Route 37. He is to appear in Tribal Court on March 3.

Brandon A. Joanette, 18, of Brushton was ticketed by Tribal Police for inadequate tail lights at 11:35 p.m. Wednesday, February 5 on state Route 37. He is to appear in Tribal Court on March 3.

Raeanne L. Benedict, 34, of 305 Cook Road, Hogansburg was arrested by Massena Village Police at 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 on a bench warrant for failure to appear on a charge of petit larceny. She was arraigned in Massena Village Court before Justice Gerald Sharlow and released on her own recognizance to re-appear on a later date.

Tacala D. Buckshot, 28, of Akwesasne, N.Y. was arrested by New York State Police and charged with petit larceny at 3:20 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9 in Malone. She was released with an appearance ticket for Malone Town Court on a later date.

CUNNINGHAM SENTENCED FOR SMUGGLING MORE THAN $5 MILLION WORTH OF “MOLLY” INTO THE UNITED STATES

Received Fourteen Years in Prison

ALBANY, NEW YORK – JOEL CUNNINGHAM, age 30, of Ottawa, Canada, was sentenced to fourteen years in prison by United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. The sentence follows CUNNINGHAM’s September 20, 2013 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

On April 9, 2013, CUNNINGHAM was observed entering the United States from Canada through an unmanned border crossing in the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation. Members of the Border Enforcement Security Task Force in Massena, New York followed CUNNINGHAM and later stopped him. Law enforcement officers searched the sport utility vehicle driven by CUNNINGHAM and found 58,183 grams of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Hydrochloride (commonly known as “Molly”), as well as over $140K in U.S. currency, in hidden compartments and duffel bags. The street value of the substance is over $5 million. CUNNINGHAM helped load the sport utility vehicle earlier that day.

BENEDICT SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO BRING ALIENS INTO U.S.

John Benedict, age not available, of St. Regis Village, Quebec, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in smuggling undocumented aliens into the United States through the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. He was also ordered on Friday in U.S. District Court, Utica, to undergo three additional years of supervision upon his release from prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens into the United States.

He and his wife, Angela Johnson, allowed their home, which is within the reservation, to be used as a way station for aliens entering the country from Canada.

Ms. Johnson has entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy charge and is due to be sentenced May 2. Ian R.E. Tarbell, Hogansburg, Dariusz Podgajny, a Polish national, and Oleh Solomon, a citizen of Ukraine, have admitted to their roles in the smuggling activity and are awaiting sentence.