The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a criminal Information was filed today charging a Monroe County resident with distributing heroin during a nine-month time period.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the Information alleges that Kyle Westry, age 21, of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute heroin between Nov. 21, 2013 and Aug. 14, 2014.
The charge stems from an investigation by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County Drug Task Force.
Westry faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine if he is convicted of the charge.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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
