Press Release
☷Postal Manager and Employee Arrested Charged with Using the Mail to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana
Federal Bureau of Investigation ( By Press Release office)
May 05,2022
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Postal Manager And Employee Arrested , Charged With Using The Mail To Distribute Cocaine And Marijuana CONTACT: Barbara BurnsPHONE: ( 716 ) 843 - 5817FAX #: ( 716 ) 551 - 3051ROCHESTER , N . Y . - U . S . Attorney Trini E . Ross announced today that Ralph Minni , 52 , and Grace Marie Lopez , 30 , of Greece , NY , were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with conspiring and attempting to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and 500 grams or more of cocaine . The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison , a maximum of 40 years , and a $5 , 000 , 000 fine . Assistant U . S . Attorney Sean C . Eldridge , who is handling the case , stated that according to the complaints , Minni is the manager of the Greece , NY Post Office , and Lopez works for the Post Office at the main Jefferson Road facility in Rochester . Minni and Lopez are accused of utilizing their positions to obtain quantities of marijuana and cocaine through the mail and then redistributing the narcotics in the Rochester area . During the investigation , law enforcement conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics from Lopez , who discussed how she obtained the narcotics from her then - boyfriend Minni and described how he used his position as a postal employee to avoid detection and to protect the narcotics . Throughout the investigation , Minni was observed removing mail packages from the post office work floor and taking them into his private office at the Greece Station , later emerging with one or more packages that often appeared to be repackaged . Minni would put the original package back into the mail stream and take a separate box with the contents from the parcel to his personal vehicle . On at least three occasions , video surveillance captured Minni taking cocaine from his desk or pocket and giving it to another employee to snort . On May 2 , 2022 , investigators observed Minni remove a package from the work room floor and take it into his office . After removing the contents , Minni returned the original package to the mail stream , took the contents to his vehicle in a separate box , and left the post office shortly after , at which time he was taken into custody . During the execution of search warrants at Minni’s office , his residence , and his vehicle , investigators recovered approximately four pounds of marijuana , over $75 , 000 worth of narcotics , including THC , marijuana , and cocaine , 40 firearms , over 5 , 000 rounds of ammunition , and a bullet proof vest . The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , under the direction of Special Agent - in - Charge Stephen Belongia; the United States Postal Service , Office of Inspector General , Eastern Area Field Office , under the direction of Special Agent - in - Charge Matthew Modafferi; and the United States Postal Inspection Service , Boston Division , under the direction of Inspector - in - Charge Ketty Larco - Ward . Additional assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , New York Field Division , under the direction of Special Agent - in - Charge John B . Devito; the Greece Police Department , under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; and the New York State Police , under the direction of Major Barry Chase . The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty . # # # #
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