Rochester Crack Cocaine Dealer and Brother Sentenced

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that brothers Kenneth Thompson and Lee Thompson, both of Rochester, N.Y., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa on drug charges.  Kenneth Thompson, 24, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, was sentenced to five years in prison. Lee Thompson, 21, who was convicted of maintaining the N. Clinton Avenue premises for the purpose of distributing cocaine base, was sentenced to 46 months in prison.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that Kenneth Thompson knowingly permitted his brother Lee Thompson to use his apartment  on  N. Clinton Avenue to store crack cocaine that Lee Thompson was selling. Both brothers were arrested on November 16, 2012 after Rochester police officers and the Monroe County Probation Department recovered 150 bags of crack cocaine packaged for street sale, paraphernalia for the weighing and packaging of street level quantities of crack cocaine, a .32 caliber pistol, and ammunition during a search of the apartment.

            The sentencings are the result of a Project Exile investigation on the part of the Rochester Violent Crimes Task Force, composed of law enforcement personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Scott Heagney, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard, the United States Marshal’s Service under the direction of U.S. Marshal Charles A. Salina, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office under the direction of Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn, and the Monroe County Probation Department.