A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to spend 114 months in a federal prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release on drug charges. The 46-year-old Stroudsburg resident pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 100 grams of heroin in Monroe County and surrounding areas. Details of the man’s sentence were released on Jan. 11 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Network of sub-distributors
According to court papers, the man and six co-conspirators obtained bricks of heroin from a supplier in Patterson, New Jersey, between 2012 and early 2015. The man then distributed the drugs using a network of sub-distributors. He also sold heroin directly to drug users from a barbershop he operated. Federal prosecutors say that each gram of heroin the man obtained was enough to make approximately 40 individual doses.
Plea agreement
The man was sentenced as part of a plea agreement he entered into with U.S. attorneys. If he had been found guilty by a jury, he could have been sent to prison for life. All of the man’s coconspirators also chose to avoid a trial by entering into plea agreements. The case was investigated by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Scranton Police Department.
Mitigating factors
The vast majority of federal narcotics prosecutions are resolved in this way. During plea discussions in cases involving drug charges, experienced criminal defense attorneys may argue that a more lenient sentence is warranted by mentioning mitigating factors that paint a more favorable picture of their clients. These factors could include sincere regret and remorse, prior good behavior and the support of their family and friends.