By Joe Pinchot
SHENANGO VALLEY — A man who was a major supplier of crack cocaine to the Shenango Valley over about 1 1/2 years pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal conspiracy charge that will land him in prison for at least 10 years.
Prosecutors and the defense attorney differ over whether Lazono F. “Polo” Deamues will be deemed a career offender, which would lengthen his prison term.
Deamues, 36, formerly of Warren, Ohio, and Detroit, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine, at least 1.8 ounces.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy L. Johnston, Pittsburgh, said others arrested in a probe of drug activity in the Sharon-Farrell area by federal, state and local authorities implicated Deamues as a supplier of crack cocaine.
Although prosecutors have not said who ratted out Deamues, defense attorney Thomas W. Brown, Pittsburgh, said in court documents that materials provided by prosecutors appear to link Deamues to Eric D. Purnell, who pleaded guilty recently to conspiracy; to Teddy V. Davis, a Purnell co-defendant; and to Lewendo Teague. Charges are pending against Davis and Teague.
Deamues moved to Warren from Detroit in the fall of 2006 and set up a drug distribution network, Ms. Johnston said.
Deamues would bring in cocaine and cook it into crack himself, and it would be sold in the Shenango Valley, she said. According to Ms. Johnston, Deamues imported 20 kilograms — more than 44 pounds — of cocaine from Michigan and 60 kilograms — more than 132 pounds — from Ohio.
Defense attorney Adam B. Cogan, Greensburg, said Deamues disputed those numbers, but not the general nature of how he conducted business.
“His recollection is somewhat different,” Cogan said of the amount of cocaine Deamues handled.
For sentencing purposes, Deamues and the government stipulated that the amount of crack cocaine Deamues handled was between 1.5 and 4.5 kilograms, 3 pounds, 5 ounces to 9 pounds, 15 ounces.
Cogan also protested Ms. Johnston’s use of the term “network.”
“We do not concede that Mr. Deamues had an organization,” Cogan said.
Deamues remained in business until February 2008, Ms. Johnston said.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2008.
U.S. District Court Judge Nora Barry Fischer set sentencing for March 12, and ordered that he remain in federal custody until then. The maximum sentence he could receive is life in prison.
Deamues entered a plea agreement with prosecutors that will net him a sentence reduction for accepting responsibility and timely notifying prosecutors of his intent to plead guilty.
Judge Barry deferred a decision on whether to accept the plea deal until after she has seen the presentence investigation report.
Sharon and state police, the FBI and the IRS investigated Deamues.
