The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 40-year-old Effort man pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick to conspiring with others to distribute heroin in the Monroe County area during a six-month time period.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Kerion Johnson, admitted to committing the crime between November 2013 and April 22, 2014.

Johnson was charged in a criminal Information filed by the United States Attorney on June 4, 2014, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police.

Johnson faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Johnson will be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy at a future date. Johnson was ordered to be detained in prison pending sentencing in the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

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.

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.