Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today the unsealing of an indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin within 1000 feet of public housing and within 1000 feet of playgrounds, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence up to life without parole. The defendants are also charged with numerous substantive counts of distribution of heroin within 1000 feet of public housing and within 100 feet of playgrounds. If convicted, each count carries a mandatory sentence of one year’s incarceration up to 40 years’ incarceration.

Arrested on the charges were:

• Deborah Alford, a/k/a, “Mom,” age 54, Williamsport;
• Deven Alford, age 37, Williamsport;
• Raymarr Lewis, a/k/a, “Bim,” age 31, Williamsport;
• Anthony Miller, a/k/a, “Conan,” - Age 38 - Address Unknown; and
• Malek Washington, a/k/a, “Black Malek,” age 31,, Williamsport.

United States Attorney Carlson stated the arrests were the result of a long term undercover investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Williamsport Bureau of Police.

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An Indictment or Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Grand Jury and/or United States Attorney against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the United States has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant has pled guilty to the charges.