Pennsylvania Man Federally Charged with Delivery of a Controlled Substance

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew Brown, 34, of Scotland, Pennsylvania, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg charging him with one count of Delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance, crack cocaine.

If convicted, Brown faces a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $1 million fine.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura J. Kerstetter, who is an assistant district attorney in the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office.

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 guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

In this particular case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of $1 million. 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.