Trenton Man Latest to Be Sentenced in Efforts to Break Up Crack Cocaine Distribution Ring
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 19, 2011 |
TRENTON, NJ—Prince Sarnoe, 24, of Trenton, N.J., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper in Trenton federal court today to 72 months in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Sarnoe pleaded guilty on March 26, 2010, to distribution of crack cocaine. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cooper sentenced Sarnoe to four years of supervised release.
Sarnoe’s sentencing is the latest action in a number of related cases investigated by the FBI and aimed at dismantling a local crack cocaine distribution ring operating in the Trenton area:
Ranson Highsmith, 37, of Trenton, pleaded guilty on April 14, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Garrett E. Brown Jr. to distribution of crack cocaine and was sentenced July 19, 2011, to 92 months in prison.
Ronnie Highsmith, 40, of Trenton, pleaded guilty on July 12, 2010, to conspiring with his brother, Ranson Highsmith, to distribute crack cocaine. Ronnie Highsmith was sentenced to 44 months in prison by Judge Brown on April 14, 2011.
Joseph Baker, Jr., 31, of Trenton, a brother to Ranson and Ronnie Highsmith, pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine on November 4, 2009, before Judge Cooper and on May 14, 2010, was sentenced to 120 months in prison.
Nathaniel Bethea, 29, of Trenton, pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine on June 17, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson and on Oct. 26, 2010, was sentenced to 120 months in prison.
Kenton Thornton, 39, of Trenton, pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine on February 1, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano and was sentenced that day to 151 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hamilton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward for the investigation in these cases.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton and Patrick Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.