York City Man Indicted Federally For Drug Trafficking

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Larry Eugene DeShields, of York, Pennsylvania was arrested on May 27, 2015 on charges of involving illegal drugs.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, DeShields, a/k/a “Dunk”, age 41, trafficked in over 500 grams and more of cocaine and marijuana in York, New York, and elsewhere during February 2015.  DeShields was indicted on the charges by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg on May 20, 2015.  The indictment was made public after DeShields was taken into custody.  The government also filed a notice with the court alleging that DeShields was previously convicted for distribution of crack cocaine in 2005, qualifying him for greater penalties if convicted on the new charges.

DeShields appeared in court in Harrisburg before U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson.  DeShields was detained.

The new charges stem from the ongoing investigation by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives into drugs and gang violence in the Southside of York.  The case was brought with the assistance of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, Springettsbury Township Police Department, and the York County Drug Task Force.

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 in this case is life 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.

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