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

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Eugene Stallings, Jr., age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, was convicted on February 5, 2016 of heroin trafficking that resulted in death and other charges after a 4-day jury trial in Harrisburg before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the jury returned with a guilty verdict to all five counts on the indictment relating to Stallings after less than 2 hours of deliberation.  The jury convicted Stallings, aka Bruno, of conspiring to distribute and for distributing more than 100 grams of heroin to Ashley Gries, Danny Forrester, Gabriel Stouffer, and Michael DeCarlo between October 2013 and April 2014.  Gries, Forrester and Stouffer traveled from the Shippensburg, Pennsylvania area to purchase heroin from Stallings in Baltimore, and then engaged in heroin trafficking in the Franklin and Cumberland County areas.  Gries, Forrester, Stouffer and DeCarlo have pleaded guilty for the roles in the drug trafficking organization. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, heroin obtained from Stallings led to the death of 21 year old Kyle Golter in Shippensburg, on February 7, 2014.  Franklin County Coroner Jeffrey R. Conner determined that Golter’s death was the result of heroin toxicity.  The jury also convicted Stallings of conspiring to distribute and for distributing heroin that resulted in Golter’s death. This charge carries an enhanced penalty requiring a mandatory minimum 20 years’ imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Smith stated that, “Golter’s death was a senseless tragedy and the serious penalties that the defendant faces reflect the dangerous consequences of trafficking heroin.”

Chief Judge Conner has not scheduled a sentencing date for Stallings, but Stallings will remain detained pending a sentencing hearing.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Shippensburg Police Department, and the Cumberland County Drug Task Force.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Taylor and Scott Ford.

This case is part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

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 life 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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