Date: January 20, 2023 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Johnstown, PA — A resident of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today. Toby Lee Coker, of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Eight of the Superseding Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson. In connection with the guilty plea, from July 2019 to June 2020, Coker did conspire to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Further, on or about February 20, 2020, Coker did distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2023. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of $20,000,000 or both, for Count Two and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000 or both, for Count Eight. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States 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 Coker. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States 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 a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
