Monroe County Man Found Guilty Of Drug Distribution Resulting In Two Deaths

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Ingino, age 28, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was found guilty of two counts of unlawfully distributing a controlled substance resulting in death after a five-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, jurors deliberated for approximately three hours before rendering the guilty verdicts against Ingino for the August 11, 2018 death of Victim 1, age 24, and the August 12, 2018 death of Victim 2, age 28, both from Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney, a Forensic Pathologist, and Dr. Michael Coyer, Forensic Toxicologist, who opined that fentanyl laced heroin caused the deaths of Victim 1 and Victim 2.  Additional testimony was provided by Pennsylvania State Police Officers and other individuals related to the investigation who testified that Ingino first sold fentanyl laced heroin to Victim 1 on Friday night, August 10, 2018 and made another sale of fentanyl laced heroin to Victim 2 on Saturday night, August 11, 2018.  FBI Special Agents and other individuals related to the distribution also testified.

“Drug dealers such as this defendant, who profit from their illegal enterprise, bear responsibility for the destruction, damage and death that they cause,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “We are proud to work with our partners in the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI to bring a measure of justice to two families who have lost loved ones.  While we will continue to do all that we can to promote treatment for those with substance use disorders, my office will always hold the dealers who push poison in our streets to account.”

The investigation was conducted by the FBI – Scranton Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Detectives of the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Jenny Roberts prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

The maximum penalty under federal law is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The drug distribution resulting in death charge also carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years’ 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.