JOHNSTOWN – A Morrisdale man pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Thursday.
Shane Hoover, 32, pleaded guilty to count two of the superseding indictment before Senior U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson on Jan. 24, 2024.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that, from about November of 2019 to June of 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hoover conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Hoover was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of methamphetamine that he distributed to others.
Gibson scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2024. The law provides for a sentence of at least 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both.
Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hoover.
Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
