Wyoming County Man Charged With Illegal Possession Of Firearms And Drug Trafficking
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Hoyt, age 55, of Eaton Township, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 25, 2019, for drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession. The indictment remained under seal until Hoyt was arrested by ATF agents on July 1, 2019.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Hoyt with being a user of illegal drugs in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of stolen firearms, and the distribution of suboxone, between November 11, 2018 and April 9, 2019 in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.
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 guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for the drug distribution offense is twenty years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release, and a fine. The maximum penalty for the firearms offense is ten years’ imprisonment and a fine. 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.
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