Four plead guilty in Barre drug bust

BARRE — Four people were convicted in Federal Court in Rutland on Tuesday of crimes relating to the distribution of cocaine in Barre last year.
According to the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Ronald Newton of Philadelphia, and Bethany Pastuszak, Terry Bahner, and Lestly Westcott, all from the Barre area, were charged with various drug and gun crimes in a 14-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in May 2011.
Newton pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss ordered Newton to be incarcerated until his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for June 4.
According to court records, Newton and co-defendant Bahner conspired to sell cocaine from Bahner’s Barre residence between April and May of 2011. With Bahner’s assistance, Newton would obtain cocaine from sources in Philadelphia and then traffic it to Barre for resale.
On the cocaine charges, Newton faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. For possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of five years.
Bahner pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and illegally transferring a firearm. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the cocaine charge and up to five years in federal prison on the gun charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Reiss on April 12 and also remains released pending sentencing.
---- Bethany Pastuszak pleaded guilty to making a false statement in connection with her purchase of the handgun for Newton. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and is scheduled to appear before Judge Reiss for sentencing on April 30. She has been released to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office pending sentencing.
Westcott pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and one count of distributing controlled substances. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the gun charge and up to 20 years in prison on the drug charge. Westcott’s sentencing is scheduled before Judge Reiss on May 31. He, too, remains released pending sentencing.
On May 14, 2011, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, together with other law enforcement agencies, executed a search warrant at Bahner’s residence. There they found Newton in an upstairs bedroom. In a drawer near his bed, they recovered a quantity of cocaine packaged for distribution and a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Newton is a convicted felon and is therefore prohibited from purchasing and possessing firearms.

Comments

[Marcella Unaitis]

great fyi page. news hound cant believe alot of the new crime wave in vt. sad