Federal Sentences for Drug Dealing Convictions in Philadelphia

Page last reviewed and updated: September 16, 2020

Under U.S. federal sentencing laws, possession of a substantial amount of drugs with intent to deliver or manufacture almost always leads to a lengthy prison sentence. This is especially true in federal criminal cases involving repeat offenses and cases in which death or serious bodily injury occurs. Under the federal drug sentencing guidelines, repeat offenders and individuals charged with drug dealing where death or serious injury occurred often face LIFE sentences.

2019 Federal Sentencing Law Update: Under the Dec. 2018 First Step Act, mandatory minimum sentencing law has changed significantly for high quantity drug dealing cases (not involving death or serious injury). A 2nd offense now triggers a 15 year sentence, and a 3rd offense triggers a 25 year sentence. These changes are reflected in the tables below.

Federal criminal drug cases accepted in Pennsylvania including Philadelphia, Delaware County, Montgomery County, etc. FREE CONSULTATIONS (215) 564-0644

These harsh mandatory minimum sentencing laws were passed nearly 30 years ago, due to the “war on drugs.” See US Code, Section 841. Since then, literally 1,00s of men and women in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties have been imprisoned for various drug related offenses. Below is an explanation of the federal sentencing guidelines for drug dealing convictions.

Federal Sentences for High Quantity Drug Convictions (Possession with Intent to Deliver/Manufacture)

Under Section 841, individuals who possess large quantities of drugs face very harsh sentences. The high quantity sentencing provisions apply to possession of more than any of the following:

5 kg of cocaine,
1 kg of heroin,
280 grams crack cocaine,
50 grams of methamphetamines,
500 grams of methamphetamine mixture, or
1000 kg of marijuana (or plants).

NO DEATH/SERIOUS BODILY INJURY	1^st offense	2^nd Offense	3^rd+ Offense
Minimum	10 years	~~20 years~~ 15 years	~~LIFE~~ 25 years
Maximum	LIFE	LIFE	LIFE
Minimum Supervised Release	5 years	10 years	n/a

DEATH/SERIOUS BODILY INJURY	1^st offense	2^nd Offense	3^rd+ Offense
Minimum	20 years	LIFE	LIFE
Maximum	LIFE	LIFE	LIFE
Minimum Supervised Release	5 years	n/a	n/a

Federal Sentences for Medium Quantity Drug Convictions (Possession with Intent to Deliver/Manufacture)

Under Section 841, individuals who possess medium quantities of drugs face very harsh sentences. The medium quantity sentencing provisions apply to possession of more than any of the following:

500 grams of cocaine,
100 grams of heroin,
28 grams crack cocaine,
5 grams of methamphetamines,
50 grams of methamphetamine mixture, or
100 kg of marijuana (or plants).

NO DEATH/SERIOUS BODILY INJURY	1^st offense	2^nd Offense	3^rd+ Offense
Minimum	5 years	10 years	10 years
Maximum	40 years	LIFE	LIFE
Minimum Supervised Release	4 years	8 years	8 years

DEATH/SERIOUS BODILY INJURY	1^st offense	2^nd Offense	3^rd+ Offense
Minimum	20 years	LIFE	LIFE
Maximum	LIFE	LIFE	LIFE
Minimum Supervised Release	4 years	n/a	n/a

Federal Sentences for Low Quantity Drug Convictions (Possession with Intent to Deliver/Manufacture)

Under Section 841, individuals who possess even small quantities of drugs face very harsh sentences. The low quantity sentencing provisions apply to possession of less than any of the following:

500 grams of cocaine,
100 grams of heroin,
28 grams crack cocaine,
5 grams of methamphetamines,
50 grams of methamphetamine mixture, or
50 kg of marijuana (or plants).

NO DEATH/SERIOUS BODILY INJURY	1^st offense	2^nd Offense	3^rd+ Offense
Minimum	None	None	None
Maximum	20 years	30 years	30 years
Minimum Supervised Release	3 years	6 years	6 years

DEATH/SERIOUS BODILY INJURY	1^st offense	2^nd Offense	3^rd+ Offense
Minimum	20 years	LIFE	LIFE
Maximum	LIFE	LIFE	LIFE
Minimum Supervised Release	3 years	n/a	n/a

Philadelphia Criminal Lawyer – FREE CONSULTATIONS

Please call our office for a free consultation with one of our criminal lawyers. (215) 564-0644

Disclaimer: This website does not create any attorney-client relationship or provide legal advice. Our lawyers provide legal advice only after accepting a case. It is imperative that any action taken is done on advice of counsel. Read full disclaimer below.

David S. Nenner

"Top Rated Criminal Defense Lawyer"
(2015-2022)

Not guilty on 1st Degree MURDER CHARGE (dec. 2022, Pottsville, Pa)

Mr. Nenner's client faced first degree murder, third degree murder and various other charges. The Commonwealth alleged that Mr. Whitted stabbed and killed a driver after an incident at a red light in West Brunswick Township. Throughout the trial, Mr. Nenner argued...

MURDER, Att. Murder CHARGES – Negotiated Significantly Lower prison sentence (Feb. 2022, PHILA)

Mr. Anderson faced murder and attempted murder charges after an incident in Northeast Philadelphia involving the shooting death of Anderson’s sister’s boyfriend and the boyfriend’s roommate who was shot 5 times and survived. The decedent had previously beaten the...

Att. MURDER CHARGES – NOT GUILTY JURY VERDICT (April 2022, PHILA)

The Commonwealth alleged that Mr. Shelton shot and seriously injured a male in a bar in North Philadelphia called Circles. There was video of the shooting which happened outside the bar. However, Mr. Nenner presented witnesses who testified that the person in the bar...

MURDER, Robbery CHARGES – NOT GUILTY JURY VERDICT (MAY 2021, PHILA)

Mr. Nenner's client was charged with multiple crimes (murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, robbery, etc.) after a shooting death occurred at a gambling house in North Philadelphia. At trial, Mr. Nenner successfully presented a self-defense argument and convinced...

MURDER CHARGE – NOT GUILTY JURY VERDICT (MAY 2021, PHILA)

Mr. Nenner’s client was charged with murder and gun charges in Philadelphia. The client was accused of shooting and killing another male on Arch Street near the 5600 block of Ithan Street in Philadelphia. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty after deliberating...

Drug Charges in Philadelphia PA State Court – Possession of a Controlled Substance

In most criminal drug cases in Philadelphia, there are two common charges or offenses: Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. In addition to these drug charges, there are other drug related charges, such...

Drug Charges in Philadelphia PA State Court – What is “Possession”

Page last reviewed and updated: October 20, 2019 One of the most common types of criminal state (PA) cases in Philadelphia is possession of drugs. Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS) and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (PWID) often...

Pennsylvania Second Degree Murder (AKA: Felony Murder) Law

Philadelphia criminal lawyer David S. Nenner discusses the current status of second degree murder law in Pennsylvania. This is also known as the felony murder rule. Get info about PA court decisions and the agency theory. Not every case of death during the commission of a felony will result in a second degree murder conviction in PA.

Philadelphia Murder Cases – Police Investigation Tactics

Questioning Police Officer Tactics in Philadelphia Murder Cases Within the last 10 years, there have been several murder Philadelphia criminal cases in which the accused individuals were acquitted of the crimes. In these cases, the individuals spent months, if not...

Murder Charges in Pennsylvania – Murder Law in Pennsylvania

An explanation of Pennsylvania murder laws including Section 2502. What is murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree and murder in the third degree. Get a summary of the definitions under Pennsylvania criminal law.