A Buffalo man with a connection to a drug trafficking ring linked to a Mexican drug cartel plead guilty to his involvement on Tuesday.
Acting U.S. Attorney James Kennedy says Bryant Hudson is guilty of structuring transactions. When sentenced, he faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Adler says Hudson was charged in an indictment that included six other individuals, all connected to this drug trafficking organization with ties to a a Mexican drug cartel operating out of the Los Angeles area.
Authorities say the organization shipped drug packages to several states, including New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Colorado.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Hudson deposited money from drug sales in accounts at Bank of America branches in the Buffalo area in an effort to move the money from Buffalo to California without being noticed. The money was deposited in amounts just under $10,000 to avoid detection from the bank, according to authorities. This practice, known as structuring, limits the groups exposure to the bank - deposits of $10,000 or more require the bank to report the transaction.
Authorities say deposits were also made by other defendants around the country, totaling more than $10,000,000. Local deposits reached over $1,000,000 over at least 120 transactions, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
