A 35-year-old man from Saint Martin residing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, announced United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan.
Hector Concepcion pleaded guilty to Counts One and Eleven of the Superseding Indictment before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson on March 6, 2024.
Concepcion conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as "crack", and quantities of heroin and cocaine from in and around August 2019 to in and around April 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, in July 2021, Concepcion, an illegal alien who is unlawfully in the United States, possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits anyone who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States, or who is an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, from possessing a firearm. Concepcion was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of crack-cocaine, heroin, and cocaine that he distributed to others.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2024. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Concepcion.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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