SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Francesco Leggio, age 26, of Plains, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 21, 2017, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Leggio possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana on March 28, 2016, in Plains, Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that Leggio possessed a Hi Point 9mm handgun in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities and after being convicted of a felony. Leggio was further charged with witness tampering for attempting to influence the testimony of a witness.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Kingston Municipal, Wilkes Barre, Plains Township, and Forty Fort Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum combined penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.
# # #