HARRISBURG, Pa. — A former deputy sheriff in California who allegedly engaged in a conspiracy that trafficked hundreds of pounds of marijuana into York, Lancaster and the Hanover area was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment Thursday.
Christopher Mark Heath, 38, was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 100 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and an additional drug trafficking count by a jury in May.
According to United States Attorney Bruce Brandler, the conspiracy began in approximately 2014 and continued to January 7, 2016. Heath and his co-conspirators grew marijuana on a property in California and shipped it through the United States Postal Service to several locations, including Northern California and Florida.
The United States Attorney Office’s release states that they traveled from California to York County in two vehicles in December 2015. Inside the vehicles were 89.5 kilograms of marijuana worth just under half a million dollars. Heath’s truck contained the marijuana, a loaded Glock firearm and his sheriff’s badge, the release adds.
He was arrested, along with the co-conspirators, by the York County Drug Task Force and Penn Township Police when they arrived to deliver marijuana in York County.
