Stein sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment

Joshua Stein, 30, Cornell, was sentenced during a hearing Oct. 7.

Stein faced five charges, stemming from incidents in February and April 2019. Previously, Stein pled guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or More of a Mixture of a Substance Containing Methamphetamine; and one count of Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, as part of a plea agreement. The other three counts were dismissed.

Prior to sentencing, Stein submitted a letter addressing the court. In the letter, Stein explained he made a bad decision when he used drugs in the past, to forget reality and mask his problems, which led to more problems.

I not only hurt myself, I hurt my grandparents, wrote Stein in the letter.

He also took responsibility for selling drugs to pay for his addiction and says he wants to emerge from the situation a better person, and never return to a life of crime.

This time will be different, wrote Stein. I will make the best of this situation. I never again want to be a slave to addiction and live in a false reality.

Stein ended the letter by stating that he knows success will not be easy, but says he will come out better.

According to online court records, the court sentenced Stein to 60 months imprisonment for the methamphetamine charge, in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. Stein is to serve another 60 months of imprisonment, consecutive to the previous count, for the firearm charge, for a total term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Stein will also have four years of supervised release for each of the counts, served concurrently to each other. The conditions of supervision include that the defendant cannot leave the judicial area in which he is being supervised; must report to a probation officer; shall not purchase, possess, use, distribute or administer any narcotic, or other controlled substance, or paraphernalia related to such substances; and that the defendant shall not possess a firearm, ammunition or dangerous weapon.

Special conditions of release include providing the probation officer all requested financial information; submit person and property to a search by a probation offi cer whenever there is reasonable suspicion of a violation; participate in mental health referral, assessment and treatment as approved by the supervising probation officer; participate in substance abuse evaluation and recommended treatment; and not knowingly meet, communicate or spend time with any person the defendant knows to be a gang member.

Stein is also to pay a $100 criminal assessment penalty for both charges.