CLEARFIELD – Luther L. Ware Jr., the New York man found guilty of bringing large amounts of crack cocaine into Clearfield County has been sentenced.
Ware, 64, of Bronx, NY, was convicted of two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of communication facility, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, criminal conspiracy and delivery of a controlled substance in one case and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy/delivery of a controlled substance, corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy/corrupt organizations, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, and criminal use of communication facility in a second case after a trial in June.
President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman sentenced him to a total of 11 to 25 years in state prison during plea and sentencing court.
According to testimony in his trial, Ware recruited individuals to travel back and forth from New York with $5,000 to $10,000 of crack cocaine at a time. He also had several local people working for him.
Prior to sentencing, Ammerman read from a transcript from a session of revocation court held in May of 2013 during which Ware spoke for a defendant, Tanya Nunez. Ware did this while standing in court wearing a suit and tie, and claiming to be a substance abuse counselor while “in reality he was a drug dealer” and a supplier, Ammerman said.
In that court hearing, Ware said he would help Nunez if she was released and stated “she’s doing what she has to do now.”
Ware addressed the court, reading from a written statement. He stated the Commonwealth failed to disclose information regarding alleged phone calls.
He claimed that the informant in the case was “verbally assaulted” by one of the undercover agents and was told what to write in the statement he gave police. Ware referred to the testimony in his trial as “scripted.” After he made a verbal motion for a new trial, Ammerman denied it.
Charges in the first case stem from an undercover purchase and the execution of a search warrant at Ware’s Clearfield residence in October.
A confidential informant was able to purchase crack cocaine from Ware for $100. Officers searching the residence found 18.30 grams of cocaine, 4.05 grams of synthetic marijuana and 2.11 grams of heroin, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Ware’s arrest was the result of a lengthy investigation by agents with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control. The second set of charges was based on testimony before a Grand Jury in October during which Ware was mentioned as a source of crack cocaine by 15 to 20 different individuals.
Testimony in the June four-day trial came from some of these same people, including undercover agents, police officers, people who sold drugs for Ware and a few of Ware’s customers.
When Ware took the stand in his own defense, he claimed everyone else was lying and even went as far as to say that he did not even know some of the witnesses.