Wilkes-Barre Man Charged With Distributing Heroin

     The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a grand jury in Scranton returned an indictment Tuesday charging James King, age 47, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, King was arrested in April 2013 in connection with a drug sale in Kingston, PA.

     The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley.

     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 guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

     In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 20 years’ imprisonment, 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.