Philadelphia Man Charged With Drug Offenses

WILLIAMSPORT -  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rashaun Flemming, age 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 27, 2020, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Flemming with four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base between October 7, 2019 and November 21, 2019, in Lycoming County.

This case was investigated by the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve 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 law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment 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 under federal law for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base is 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine.  A sentence for each of these offenses also includes a period of supervised release following imprisonment.  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