Utica Man Sentenced For Federal Drug Conspiracy

A Utica man has been sentenced to over 10 years in prison on federal drug charges.

The U.S Attorney’s Office says 37-year-old Frank Hunter was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that trafficked cocaine, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl in the Utica area from July 2018 to July 2019.

A multi-agency investigation began in March of 2017 and ended with the federal arrest of Hunter in July of 2019.

Authorities seized drugs, cash and other evidence following the execution of several search warrants in Utica.

In addition to his prison sentence, Hunter was also sentenced to a post-incarceration term of supervised release of 5-years.

The Court also directed the forfeiture of unrecovered assets Hunter acquired through the distribution of drugs consisting of a money judgment in the amount of $518,080.

Also forfeited by Hunter was:

$3,241.57 from a credit union account

$5,266.59 from a credit union account

$6,722.07 from a credit union account

$8,226.53 from a credit union account

$4,415.24 from a credit union account

$66,060.00 in U.S. currency

$36,005.00 in U.S. currency

$4,391.00 in U.S. currency

$4,100.00 in money orders

A 2011 Ford Explorer SUV

This case was investigated by New York State Police-Special Investigations Unit, Investigators from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, members of the City of Utica Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Beaty, Special Assistant U.S Attorney Grant Garramone, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.

Utica, NY Police Department's Top Ten Most Wanted

The City of Utica Police Department in Utica, New York has released its Top Ten Most Wanted List for the month of February 2022.

Several of those listed have previously been featured in separate posts about individual crimes, on a previous wanted list, or as the Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers Wanted Person of the Week.

The reader is reminded that all persons, either suspected of or arrested in connection to, a crime, are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any of the individuals listed is asked to call police or the local Crime Stoppers.

The Utica Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division can be reached at: (315) 223.3510.

Calls, e-mail, and messages may also be left anonymously with Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers by calling: 1-866-730-8477 (TIPS), by visiting www.mohawkvalleycrimestoppers.com, or by using the P3 Tips mobile app. All information received by Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers is 100% confidential.

Wynn Hospital at MVHS Construction Tour in Utica, NY

MVHS's Bob Schoefield ushered a tour of the current state of construction at the new Wynn Hospital in downtown Utica on Friday, February 11, 2022. The project is on-schedule and is expected to be completed and open in Fall of 2023.Bill