William J. Hochul Jr. surprised much of Western New York on Wednesday
when he announced plans to retire in three weeks as U.S. attorney.
After
30 years of prosecuting gangsters, drug dealers, and terrorist
sympathizers, he says he is leaving government and heading into private
practice without identifying any particular firm. The prosecutor who
oversees federal law enforcement in New York’s 17 western counties said
he simply wants to leave public service and pursue a new career. Hochul
has served for six years, making him one of the longest-serving U.S.
attorneys in the region’s history.
“I am definitely going into private life,” he said, adding that he intends to remain in Buffalo.
Several
Buffalo attorneys said they knew Hochul was eventually planning to move
on to other ventures, but all were surprised by the timing of Hochul’s
announcement late on Wednesday afternoon.
“This really came out of
the blue,” said veteran defense attorney Paul J. Cambria on Thursday.
“I’ve got all kinds of people asking me, ‘What’s going on with this?’ I
don’t know what to tell them.”
Dennis C. Vacco, the former U.S.
attorney appointed by a Republican president who was one of Hochul’s
first bosses, said Thursday, “I think Bill wants to go out on his own
terms.
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Source: The Buffalo News
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