Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
One of the defendants also sentenced on unlawful possession of a firearm conviction
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Three residents of Pennsylvania have been sentenced in federal court on their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and/or methamphetamine, with one of the defendants also being sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The sentences imposed by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan were:
| Defendant | Age | Residence | Sentence |
| Azheem Ellis | 49 | Philadelphia, Pa. | 96 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release |
| James Dotson | 47 | Johnstown, Pa. | 180 months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release |
| Sandra Box | 59 | East Conemaugh, Pa. | 33 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release |
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ellis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and quantities of heroin, cocaine, and crack. During this same timeframe, Dotson conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Additionally, in and around June 2021, Dotson—who had been previously convicted of a felony—unlawfully possessed a firearm. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Further, from in and around February 2021 to in and around April 2021, Box conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of heroin and crack. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others, with Ellis and Dotson as two of the main targets of the wiretap investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.