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 on November 29, 2017, United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Nelson Soto, age 44, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to 10 months’ imprisonment for his role in a drug trafficking organization operating in Luzerne County.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the charges stemmed from a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, powder cocaine, and cocaine base, or “crack.” The organization was responsible for trafficking over 100 grams of heroin and 28 grams of crack. One hundred grams of heroin is the equivalent of approximately 4,000 individual doses of heroin. Soto plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States, and admitted that he was responsible for trafficking less than 10 grams of heroin.
This indictment was the result of a year-long investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as 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 to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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