BUFFALO, N.Y. — A jail deputy has now been fired as of June 10 by the Erie County Sheriff's Office after he pleaded guilty to a drug charge just as his trial was about to get underway.
John Gugino, 45, of Hamburg entered the plea Tuesday in Hamburg Town Court. The Erie County District Attorney's office says Gugino was off duty in October 2020 when he was the subject of a search warrant while stopped by a deputy on Milestrip Rd. in Hamburg. At that time, a small quantity of cocaine was found.
Gugino remains free on his own recognizance. He is set to be sentenced in July on a charge of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, a misdemeanor. He faces a maximum of a year in jail.
A spokesperson says Gugino was suspended without pay, but after a disciplinary hearing, he was fired.