Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Distributing Designer Drug

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SCRANTON, PA — The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Fausto Hernandez, age 44, of Tobyhanna, Monroe County, on March 15, 2023, to one year in prison for the charge of distributing a “designer drug” which is a controlled substance analog.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hernandez previously pleaded guilty and admitted to distributing a “designer drug” known as “4-chloroethcathinone,” often referred to as “4-CEC,” a controlled substance analog which mimics the effects of other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, in the Monroe County area in June and July 2019.

Under federal law, such “designer drugs” are controlled substance analogues, which are chemically similar to controlled substances in Schedule I or II, to the extent they are intended for human consumption, and are treated as controlled substances.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.

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