The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a third Monroe County man pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Scranton, before Senior United States District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, to the charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Fred Baumgartner, age 34, of Kresgeville, Monroe County, admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Monroe County area in 2013 and 2014.
Baumgartner was one of seven individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2014, after a several month investigation conducted jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and the Stroud Regional Police Department regarding methamphetamine trafficking in Monroe County.
Previously, Scott Borushak, age 51, and Emmanuel Tucker, age 39, both of Stroudsburg, pleaded guilty and admitted to participating in the same methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. In addition, Jeannine Altemose, age 53, of Stroudsburg, previously entered a guilty plea and admitted to allowing methamphetamine to be stored and distributed from her residence. The charges against the remaining defendants are currently pending.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.
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 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $1,000,000 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
