Judge Adds Extra Year To Prison For Heroin Possession By Federal Inmate Prieto

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The grim pages of federal justice were turned yet again as United States Attorney David J. Hickton revealed that Carlos Alberto Prieto, a convicted criminal already serving a severe sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Loretto, was sentenced to an extra year for possession of heroin within prison walls.

Prieto, 48, had pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing heroin on Mar. 19, 2013, marking a dark day for the correctional facility where he was supposed to be serving time for conspiracy to commit robbery, attempt to commit robbery, and use of a firearm during criminal violence.

Judge Kim R. Gibson, without hesitation, imposed the additional sentence, which will run consecutively to Prieto’s current 351-month sentence. The judge’s decision sends a resounding message about the zero-tolerance policy on drug possession in correctional institutions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Haines led the prosecution against Prieto, ensuring that justice was served for the violation of prison rules and the danger he posed to other inmates.

The investigation leading to Prieto’s conviction was a collaborative effort between the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Investigative Staff at the Federal Correctional Institution. Their efforts were commended by U.S. Attorney Hickton for their role in this successful prosecution.

With this latest sentence, Carlos Alberto Prieto’s criminal history deepens, underscoring the severe consequences of drug trafficking within federal correctional facilities and the commitment to uphold law and order within our nation’s justice system.

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