SCRANTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a grand jury in Scranton has charged ten men and one woman with conspiring to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (crack) and heroin in Monroe County.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment alleges that from at least May 2015 to July of this year, Joseph Morales, age 24, Humberto Morales-Delgado, age 52, both of Pocono Summit, PA, Matthew Morales, Age 22, Mount Pocono, PA, Myles Davis, age 27,  Kyme Ashby, age 26, Patrick Hynes, age 18, Sherquille Ernest, age 21, all of Tobyhanna, PA,

Steven Silva-Lugo, age 28, Henryville, PA, Andrew Perez, age 27, Bronx, NY, Nick Monteforte, age 29, Monroe County, PA, and Jayce Bradley, age 54, Shawnee on Delaware, PA conspired to distribute more than half a kilogram of cocaine, more than 280 grams of cocaine base and more than 100 grams of heroin to consumers in multiple locations, in and around Monroe County.

Eight of the defendants, Joseph Morales, Matthew Morales, Morales-Delgado, Silva-Lugo, Ernest, Ashby, Bradley and Hynes were arrested on July 22, 2015 and are in custody. Three remain at large at this time. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Myles Davis, Andrew Perez or Nick Monteforte is asked to contact the Drug Enforcement Administration at (570) 496-1020.

The investigation was the result of a long term cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Peter Hobart.

The defendants face a minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment and fines of up to one million dollars.

Indictments 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 20 years of 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.

 

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