A former Johnstown woman who was one of 32 defendants indicted last year in a multi-state drug ring that operated in five Pennsylvania counties pleaded guilty yesterday to a lesser charge.
59-year-old Mary Lou Nelson admitted to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to deliver 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack, containing both cocaine and fentanyl, between April of 2019 and July of 2021. The drug ring operated in Cambria, Indiana, Allegheny, Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, and the investigation included a number of agencies, among them the Indiana County District Attorney’s office, state police, and Indiana Borough Police.
An Indiana woman, 31-year-old Ruby Gil, pleaded guilty in March to possessing narcotics and conspiracy for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in the same time frame. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5th.
Nelson is set to be sentenced on November 29th. She could get a minimum of five years to a maximum of 40 years in prison, a fine as high as $5 million, or both. The actual sentence will be based on the seriousness of the offense and prior criminal history.
