BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO 57 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR SELLING DRUGS IN LUZERNE COUNTY

Dennis C. Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a Brooklyn, New York man who admitted to participating in a cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and crack cocaine trafficking conspiracy in Luzerne County in 2007, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley to serve 57 months in federal prison.

Pfannenschmidt stated that Lamell Samuel, age 22, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drugs.

Samuel and 13 other defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2007, as a result of investigations by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police, and Wilkes-Barre Police. Eleven defendants have entered guilty pleas in the case. Three defendants, Jeffrey Malivert, Hassan Mustapha, and George Lowers were previously sentenced by Judge Munley to 66 months, 63 months, and 60 months in prison, respectively. Two other defendants, Aaron Saunders and Vincent Jackson, are awaiting trial.

Judge Munley also ordered Samuel to serve three years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence, and pay a special assessment of $100.

Pfannenschmidt noted that the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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