WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) - A northeastern Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison in a shooting death that authorities called the result of a rivalry between drug dealers.
Twenty-three-year-old Jancarlos Perez of West Hazleton was sentenced to the maximum term Monday in Luzerne County Court after pleading guilty to third-degree murder.
Prosecutors alleged that he killed 23-year-old Jose Concepcion in January 2016 to remove competition from the local drug market. The victim’s bullet-riddled body was found in Humboldt Industrial park several miles from his burned-out car.
In exchange for the murder plea, counts of reckless burning, receiving stolen property and evidence-tampering were dropped. Prosecutor Mamie Phillips called it “a fair resolution” of the case. Perez declined to address the court.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.