Florida Woman Pleads Guilty To Mailing Painkillers To New Kensington Man
PITTSBURGH, Pa. ‑ A resident of Wellington, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Lynette Coleman, 52, pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2010, to one count of drug conspiracy before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 4, 2008, postal inspectors in Pittsburgh intercepted, and then secured a search warrant for a package sent to New Kensington, Pa., from Wellington, Fla. Inside they discovered 490 narcotic pills, including Oxycontin and Roxycet, painkillers illegally sold on the street for as much as $30 or $40 per pill.
Through the ensuing investigation, inspectors determined that at least 16 similar packages had been sent from Florida to the same individual in Pittsburgh. On June 12, 2008, they approached Colemen in the parking lot of the Wellington drug store where she was a floor manager, and dispensed prescription drugs. Coleman subsequently admitted sending about four such packages per month, for about seven months, to a former boyfriend in New Kensington, who was reselling most of the pills. There were in excess of 4,000 narcotic pills diverted, containing nearly a pound of pure oxycodone, with a street value estimated to exceed $100,000.
Judge Fishcer scheduled sentencing for April 29, 2011. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory J. Nescott is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Allegheny County Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lynette Coleman.
