Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Bangor, Maine:  Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in Bangor for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin and conspiracy to violate federal firearms laws, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Court Judge Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr sentenced Rashaad McKinney, a/k/a “Dawson,” a/k/a “D,” 28, to 77 months in prison and a three years of supervised release on the drug charge and a concurrent five year term in prison and three years of supervised release on the gun charge. 

According to court records, between November 2016 and September 2017, McKinney conspired with others from Rochester and Central Maine to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack and heroin.  The drugs were acquired in Rochester and sold in Central Maine.  In addition, some of the people to whom McKinney sold drugs conspired with him to illegally obtain firearms from Augusta area firearms dealers.  McKinney recruited straw-purchasers, gave them instructions on which firearms to purchase, and then paid them in cash or drugs to make the purchases using money that he provided.  The firearms were then taken back to Rochester.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.  The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

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