Harrisburg Man Indicted For Crack Cocaine Trafficking

    The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg returned an indictment charging James O. Payne, age 32, of Harrisburg, with crack cocaine trafficking.

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Payne distributed crack cocaine in Harrisburg and elsewhere from 2011 to February 2013. An investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division, the Dauphin County Office Probation and Parole, and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, revealed his pattern of drug trafficking in the area.
Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Consiglio.

     Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

     A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

     In this particular case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is life imprisonment and 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.

* * * *