Fifth Monroe County Defendant Pleads Guilty To Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Charge

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a fifth Monroe County defendant pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Scranton, before Senior United States District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, in connection with a methamphetamine-trafficking ring.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Anthony Ianuale, age 43, of Sciota, admitted to aiding the distribution of methamphetamine in the Monroe County area in 2014.

Ianuale was one of seven persons indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2014, after an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department and the Stroud Regional Police Department.

Previously, Scott Borushak, age 51, Emmanuel Tucker, age 39, both of Stroudsburg, and Fred Baumgartner, age 34, of Kresgeville, pleaded guilty and admitted to participating in the trafficking. Jeannine Altemose, age 53, of Stroudsburg, previously entered a guilty plea and admitted to allowing methamphetamine to be distributed and stored  in her residence.  The charges against the remaining defendants are currently pending.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.

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

The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $1,000,000 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.

# # #