Wilkes-Barre Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Firearm In Furtherance Of Heroin Trafficking

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a Wilkes-Barre man pled guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Scranton, before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of heroin trafficking.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Disean Kendricks, age 26, admitted to the charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Kendricks was indicted by a grand jury in June 2015.

The charges stem from an incident in which investigators served a search warrant at a residence located on Sullivan Street in Wilkes-Barre and seized 45 bags of heroin and two firearms from a bedroom in which Kendricks was sleeping. 

The investigation was conducted by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.

This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes. 

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal state and local law enforcement agencies.

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.

Kendricks faces a mandatory penalty of at least 60 months in prison. 

The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life 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.

# # #