Luzerne County Man Indicted For Unlawfully Importing Controlled Substances

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Joseph Waschko, age 37, of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 20, 2018, for unlawfully importing controlled substances.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Waschko is charged with three counts of unlawfully importing Tramadol, which is a Schedule IV controlled substance, from India, Germany, Singapore, and Switzerland to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred on or about June 15, 2015, June 14, 2016, and June 30, 2016.

The charges against Waschko resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.  

Indictments and Criminal Informations 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 for each charge is five years’ imprisonment. 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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