Rochester Man Indicted on Methamphetamine Charges

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Rochester has returned a 12-count indictment charging David H. Cohen, 61, of Rochester, New York, with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, using a telephone to commit a controlled substance felony, and possession of methamphetamine. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that the indictment stemmed from a joint federal, state, and local investigation. The indictment charges the defendant with distributing quantities of methamphetamine on June 1, June 11, June 14, and June 26, 2010 and with using a telephone on various dates to commit a controlled substance felony.

The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Gary Maha; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Mark Koss; the Batavia Police Department, under the direction of Chief Randy Baker; the LeRoy Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher Hayward; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Wilbert L. Plummer, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division.

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.