GROTON — A man who ran from Groton, Connecticut, all the way to Canada was returned to the United States on Tuesday, and arrived back in the United States on Wednesday after an extradition process. He was in court in Connecticut on Thursday.
Dante Hughes, 30, of Groton, is suspected of shooting and killing Joseph “Joey” Gingerella, 24, also of Groton, on December 11 around 1:30 a.m. after Gingerella tried to intervene when he allegedly saw Hughes beating a woman in a restaurant parking lot. It’s been reported that she was Hughes’ girlfriend.
Gingerella was shot multiple times and died, and an arrest warrant charging Hughes with murder was issued.
Groton Police told FOX 61 that on Wednesday, Hughes appeared at Niagara County Court in Lockport, New York, on charges of being a fugitive from justice. He had been deported there from Canada.
At the hearing in New York Hughes waived extradition, and was returned to Groton police. He was arraigned in court in New London on December 22 for the murder charge.
Bond was set at $500,000, and he also has a domestic violence charge for $50,000. It’s not clear if that is related to this case or not.
During arraignment, Gingerella’s family held a photo of the young man, though did not make a comment.
The judge called Hughes, “One of the biggest flight risks he’s seen.”
On December 15, the Canada Border Services Agency told FOX 61 that Hughes had been detained by border patrol on December 13 after Hughes attempted to enter the country from the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls.
According to the CBSA , Hughes appeared before the Immigration and Refugee Board on December 14 for an admissibility hearing, but he was deemed “inadmissible for past criminality.” The independent quasi-judicial tribunal, as the CBSA put it, issued a removal order for Hughes.
Groton Police released a statement about Hughes’ return to the town:
The Groton Town Police Department would like to acknowledge and thank the Canadian Border Service Agency, the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office, United States Customs and Border Protection and the United States Marshals Service for the immeasurable assistance they provided in returning HUGHES to face charges in Connecticut.
