Date: 03-22-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 3:15-cr-00013-JMM

Judge: James M. Munley

Court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (Dauphin County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Francis P. Sempa

Defendant's Attorney: Charles Witaconis

Description: Scranton, PA - Monroe County Man Guilty Of Heroin Trafficking And Firearms Charge

Daryl Trent, age 43, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Trent admitted to committing the drug offense on March 16, 2015, and committing the gun offense on July 25, 2014. Both crimes occurred in Monroe County. Trent admitted to possessing with intent to distribute between 10 and 20 grams of heroin, which is approximately equivalent to between 400 and 800 retail bags of heroin.

Judge Munley ordered a presentence report to be completed, and scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2018.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police from Monroe County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The firearms charge also carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, and the sentence imposed for that offense must run consecutive to any other sentence. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

Outcome: Guilty

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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