Synthetic drug dealer sentenced to 37 months in federal prison

SCRANTON, Penn. – A Larksville man was sentenced Thursday to 37 months in prison in the Middle District of Pennsylvania Thursday for conspiring with others to distribute and possessing alpha-pvp, commonly known as “bath salts.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) along with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspectors, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and West Pittston Police Department investigated the case.

John Pearce, 30, previously admitted to participating in the conspiracy, which distributed alpha-pvp to customers during Dec. 2011 through Aug. 2013.

Pearce was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2014, as a result of the coordinated investigation. All eleven defendants charged in the case have entered guilty pleas, including the principal distributors from West Pittston, Pennsylvania and their suppliers from Texas.

The federal judge also ordered Pearce to serve three years on supervised release following his prison sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.