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 that Coreon House, age 21, and Rashad Coleman, age 25, both of Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2019, before United States District Court Senior Judge James M. Munley to armed robbery of a CVS Pharmacy in Scranton.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, House and Coleman admitted to the armed robbery of a pharmacy and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, filed as a result of the armed robbery of the CVS Pharmacy, located on Moosic Street in Scranton, which occurred on May 21, 2018.  House, Coleman and a third individual, Nicola Dunlap, age 21, also of Indianapolis, traveled from Indianapolis to the CVS Pharmacy in Scranton.  Upon entering the pharmacy, House pointed a firearm at a CVS employee while Coleman acted as a lookout and Dunlap acted as a getaway driver.  House and Coleman proceeded to take numerous bottles of pills from the pharmacy, including oxycodone, morphine and xanax.  All three were apprehended a short time later after police stopped the vehicle in which they were traveling.  All three were indicted by a grand jury on July 10, 2018. 

Judge Munley ordered that presentence investigations be completed for House and Coleman.  The charges against Dunlap are still pending.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Scranton Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.        

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017, as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.

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 for the charge of armed robbery of a pharmacy under federal law is 25 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, consecutive to any other sentence. 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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