SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Wilkes-Barre man was indicted on Sept. 13, by a federal grand jury in Scranton for crack cocaine trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the Indictment charges Jahkel Lamar, age 29, of Wilkes-Barre, with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
The charges stem from an investigation in which the Scranton Police Department allegedly found Lamar to be in possession of approximately 127 grams of crack cocaine at a bus terminal in Scranton.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Scranton Police Department, Special Investigations Division. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.
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 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 up to forty years in prison, 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
