Canadensis Man Sentenced To 12 Years’ Imprisonment For Trafficking Highly Pure Methamphetamine

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Counterman, age 56, of Canadensis, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment followed by ten years’ supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine, and money laundering. In addition to receiving a 144-month sentence, Counterman forfeited $128,000 to the government, representing proceeds from the sale of the various properties Counterman owned at the time of his arrest. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, in October 2017, a federal search warrant was executed on Counterman’s residence in Canadensis that resulted in the seizure of 142 grams of pure methamphetamine, together with drug distribution paraphernalia.  A financial investigation of his drug distribution activities resulted in the discovery of a scheme by which Counterman acquired residential investment properties in and around the Pocono region of Pennsylvania utilizing illegal drug distribution proceeds.

In addition to Counterman, the “Game of Homes” OCDETF investigation resulted in four additional individuals being sentenced by Judge Munley:

• Kelly Brady, age 56, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, sentenced to 55 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute in excess of 1,500 grams of actual methamphetamine;

• Levi Roopchand, age 28, of Las Vegas, Nevada, sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Roopchand is subject to deportation to Trinidad upon completion of his federal sentence;

• Sean Martin, age 38, of Marshals Creek, Pennsylvania, sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine.  Judge Munley ordered that Martin’s federal sentence to run consecutively to a Monroe County, Pennsylvania, 16 to 36 month sentence Martin was serving at the time of his conviction; and,

• Michelle Christie, age 56, of Garden Grove, California, sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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