HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona man serving 20 to 50 years in prison for running a drug trafficking organization that brought large amounts of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl to Altoona has backed away from trying to withdraw his guilty pleas.

Jonathan H. Delacruz, 41, now an inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Benner Township, Bellefonte, confirmed in Blair County Court on Tuesday that he was withdrawing the appeal he initiated 11 days after rendering guilty pleas on March 17, 2022, to numerous drug trafficking offenses.

Delacruz, who participated in Tuesday’s court hearing by video, told Judge Jackie Bernard that he understood his latest actions.

Defense attorney Paul Puskar, appointed last year to represent Delacruz in the post-conviction appeal process, reminded Delacruz that withdrawing “will be the absolute end of your case and there will be nothing more you can do except serve your sentence.”

Delacruz said he understood that.

Bernard also quizzed Delacruz on his intention and his ability to make the decision to withdraw.

“How certain are you that this is the right decision?” Bernard asked.

“I’m certain,” Delacruz replied.

Delacruz was arrested in July 2020 by Altoona police and state narcotics agents who executed search warrants at a residence on the 2800 block of Sixth Avenue and a stash house on the 2500 block of Beale Avenue. Police seized 27 bricks of packaged heroin, 77 grams of raw heroin and 153 grams of fentanyl. They also seized $186,360 in cash.

In addition to drug-trafficking charges filed at the time of Delacruz’s arrest, additional drug-trafficking charges were filed against him in May 2021 based on a statewide grand jury report.

In that report, witnesses reported working for Delacruz between 2017-20, in drug-trafficking activity that started in Johnstown and later moved to Altoona. Witnesses told the grand jury that they counted large sums of money for Delacruz, which he took to New York to bring back large amounts of drugs.

On March 17, 2022, in Blair County Court, Delacruz opted to enter guilty pleas for the recommended sentence — 20 to 50 years — instead of selecting a jury and going to trial.

He rendered pleas to multiple counts of criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and additional crimes.

At that time, Delacruz was represented by defense attorneys Thomas M. Dickey and Kristen Anastasi, who negotiated the recommended sentence with Deputy Attorney General Michael Madeira and District Attorney Pete Weeks.

Eleven days later, Delacruz notified the court in a petition he filed that he wanted to withdraw his guilty pleas. He claimed his attorneys had “surreptitiously” influenced him into pleading guilty and that he didn’t have a full understanding of his legal rights. Both Dickey and Anastasi denied Delacruz’s claims.

Puskar said Tuesday that Delacruz’s decision to drop his appeal was one he made on his own.

Puskar told Bernard that in conversations with Delacruz, he reminded him that should he be successful with his appeal, he would then face a jury trial on all charges.

Bernard also asked Delacruz if he recognized that if he went to trial and was convicted, he could face a longer sentence than the one imposed.

“Yes,” Delazcruz replied.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.