NYC Man Living in Utica Had Hundreds of Grams of Drugs, Gun: Indictment Alleges

A New York City man who was staying in the Utica-area was in possession of hundreds of grams of illegal drugs that he intended to sell, and illegally possessed a handgun, according to a federal indictment announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Authorities allege that Rasheed Mingues was living in the Utica-area this past December and was  caught with hundreds of grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine and intended to 'distribute' the drugs locally. Additionally, prosecutors say he was found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm gun 'in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes,' and also has a prior felony conviction which prohibits him from having a handgun.

Since his arrest on December 9, 2022, Mingues has been held without bail.

If convicted on the charges of criminally possessing drugs, using the gun in furtherance of the drugs sales, and illegal possession of a gun with a prior felony, Mingues faces a minimum of 15-years behind bars and a maximum sentence of life behind bars. Additionally, he could face a fine of up to $10,000,000, officials said.

Utica Police, Syracuse Police, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the United State Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were all involved in the investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This post is for informational purposes. The information provided within was provided publicly by law enforcement. Any charges or accusations of wrongdoing mentioned in the article are only allegations and the reader is reminded that all persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.]