United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SCRANTON, Pa. - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Providence, Rhode Island man was indicted late yesterday by a federal grand jury sitting in Scranton, on the charge of possession with intent to distribute in excess of one kilogram of heroin.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Angel Prado, age 43, allegedly committed the offense on December 19, 2013, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania when he was operator of a vehicle involved in a traffic stop. The charge against Prado resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The charge also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. 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.