Johnstown Man Charged with Distributing Cocaine
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 24, 2009 |
Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, November 24, 2009, that on November 17, 2009, Brian Hill, a resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of distribution of cocaine.
The one-count indictment named Hill, age 39, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on September 30, 2008, Hill distributed less than 500 grams of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Johnstown Police Department, the Cambria County Drug Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation/Laurel Highlands Resident Agency conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.