Four Indicted On Drug Trafficking And Weapons Charges

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg indicted four South Central PA and Maryland residents on December 16, 2015 on charges of distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and hydrocodone and for possessing handguns in furtherance of those crimes.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Angel Moorman, 36, Waynesboro, Joseph Tyeryar, 33, Frederick, MD, Chad King, 31, Sharpsburg, MD, and Susan Callahan, 36, Waynesboro, were charged with possessing cocaine and oxycodone with the intent to distribute and conspiracy to do the same in the Waynesboro area. Moorman and Callahan were also charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute it. Moorman was charged in a separate count with possessing four handguns in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity. The indictment alleges that this activity occurred from June 2015 up to and including October 14, 2014.

The indictment remained under seal until yesterday to allow investigators to locate and arrest the defendants.  Tyeryar, King and Callahan were arrested on January 7, 2016 and Moorman was arrested in October on local charges.  The defendants were arraigned by U.S. Magistrate Chief Judge Martin C. Carlson in Harrisburg.  Moorman remains in custody at Franklin County Prison.  Defendants are currently scheduled for trial on March 9, 2016 before U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones, III.    

The case was investigated by the Franklin County Drug Task Force, the Frederick County MD Narcotics Unit and Homeland Security Investigations. Prosecution of the case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe.

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

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 40 years on the drug charges with a mandatory 5 year minimum sentence. Each firearm count is punishable by up to life imprisonment and a mandatory consecutive 5 year term of imprisonment. There is also 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.

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