Hazleton Man Pleads Guilty To Pill Distribution Conspiracy

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Hazleton man pleaded guilty on October 4, 2016 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick in Scranton, to conspiring with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Tramadol, Ambien, Xanex, and other Schedule IV drugs.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the defendant, Azim Hosein, age 45, admitted to regularly receiving parcels of Schedule IV pills at his residence in Hazleton, and providing them to a co-conspirator who distributed them to customers. The illegal conduct occurred between November 2014 and January 29, 2016. The drugs were obtained from suppliers in India.

Hosein was charged in a criminal information filed by the United States Attorney’s Office in August 2016. The charge stemmed from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspectors, and Hazleton Police.

Judge Mehalchick ordered a presentence investigation to be completed. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy will schedule sentencing after the pre-sentence investigation is completed. Hosein faces a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.  

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 five years in prison, 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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