June 25, 2014

Wilkes-Barre Man Sentenced to Prison on Drug Charges

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Wilkes-Barre man was sentenced yesterday, in federal court in Wilkes-Barre, by United States District Judge A. Richard Caputo, to serve 151 months in prison on a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Robert Tolbert, age 40, a resident of the Wilkes-Barre area, pleaded guilty to the drug charge in February of this year.

Tolbert was charged after an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, the Plains Township Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation resulted in charges against Tolbert and ten others. An Information was filed against Tolbert on January 21, 2014. The charge against Tolbert arose from his involvement in cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking. Tolbert was sentenced as a career offender under the United States Sentencing Commission Sentencing Guidelines.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Caputo ordered that Tolbert be supervised by a probation officer for three years following his release from prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John C. Gurganus.