The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Lansford, Carbon County, resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Scranton, before Senior United States District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, to the charge of distributing cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Joseph Revell, age 21, admitted to distributing cocaine in the Carbon County area between January 2011 and September 2012.
Revell is the fifth defendant to enter a guilty plea in connection with the joint federal-local investigation. Previously, Bonnie Vosburgh, age 22, of Nesquehoning, Victoria Argott, age 34, of Lansford, Ceres Lozada, age 27, of Nesquehoning, and Alexander “Butch" Sommers, age 47, of Summit Hill, entered guilty pleas and admitted to participating in the same cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Nesquehoning and Lansford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.
In this particular case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 40 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
