Buffalo, Nov 17 (IBNS) U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced on Friday that Kevin L. Donaldson, 48, of Salamanca, New York, who was convicted after a two-week jury trial of transporting minors across state lines for the purpose of sexually abusing them and witness tampering, was sentenced to 40 years in prison and lifetime supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron J. Mango and Michael DiGiacomo, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on multiple occasions between April 2004 and July 2007, the defendant, an over-the-road truck driver, transported three of his minor relatives across state lines and repeatedly raped them.
One of the victims was 13 years old when Donaldson began raping the victim, with this conduct continuing over the next three years.
Testimony at trial indicated the defendant ignored repeated pleas from his victims to stop. Prior to this trial, Donaldson was convicted of state rape charges in Cattaraugus County and sentenced to four years in prison.
While incarcerated at the Niagara County Jail awaiting trial on the federal charges, Donaldson wrote multiple letters to one of the victims as well as the mother of the victim in an attempt to influence the testimony of the victim. Among other things, the defendant told the victim to testify that “nothing happened.”
“While today’s sentence may close this prosecution of the defendant, the effects on victims in a case of this nature can be lifelong,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul on Friday.
“Fortunately, the defendant will be spending a very long time behind bars, quite possibly the rest of his natural life. This case should send a strong message to the public that our office will track down and bring to justice any individuals who so brutally victimize the vulnerable of our society.”
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; and the Salamanca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gary Wind.
