United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, March 19, 2008, that John Edward Crews of Donora, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug laws.

The two-count indictment named Crews, age 36, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on March 20, 2007 and on February 6, 2008, Crews distributed and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of forty (40) years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force comprised of members drawn from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and officers from the Donora, Monessen, Charleroi and Monongahela Police Departments, and the Fayette County District Attorney's Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.