Metro

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The city woman convicted of drug trafficking and possession charges was sentenced to about 19 to 38 years in state prison on Thursday.

A Blair County jury found Jacquelyn Claire Gomez, 41, guilty on felony counts of dealing in unlawful proceeds, criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and misdemeanor counts of possession of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia following a two-day criminal trial in May.

By handing down the sentence, presiding Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard declined to use the sentencing requests submitted by both defense attorney Mark Zearfaus and Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Thomas.

Thomas had asked for a sentence of 22 to 60 years, while Zearfaus requested 8 to 16 years.

“I think 22 years is way off base,” Zearfaus said. “It’s really just warehousing someone.”

In justifying his request, Thomas said Gomez had four prior convictions, including one for conspiracy to commit robbery.

“Despite all efforts to rehabilitate her, her behavior has only escalated, which has resulted in these current charges,” Thomas said.

He also pointed out that officers found about 50 grams of fentanyl in Gomez’s residence. An average dose of fentanyl is about 0.02 grams, Thomas said, meaning Gomez was in possession of about 2,500 doses of fentanyl.

“I don’t believe the court has any other options,” Thomas said. “She has continued to do the same thing, which is to sell drugs.”

Prior to sentencing, Gomez’s father was given the opportunity to speak.

Quickly becoming emotional, he told Bernard that Gomez’s parole officer had “raided her apartment” three times before the visit that led to her arrest and “found nothing.”

He said her parole officer waited until her co-

defendant Michael Nichols, 43, was there to search the apartment again, which is when he found the drugs and paraphernalia.

“I’m 65 years old,” he said. “I don’t have 22 years.”

Gomez also addressed Bernard and, through tears, said she was “born into addiction” and abuse. She then developed an addiction of her own.

In talking with Bernard, Gomez claimed the body cam footage shown during her jury trial was altered and that her cellphone messages had been tampered with. She maintained that she never confessed to possessing or distributing drugs.

Thomas clarified that those items were only altered to remove mention of Gomez’s prior convictions, which the jury was not permitted to see.

Bernard told Gomez that she herself said that of the last 23 years since she turned 18, about 20 of them had been spent incarcerated.

“I don’t know how else to keep you in line,” Bernard said.

In the pre-sentence investigation, Gomez spoke about her medical marijuana usage, saying she would make sure to be high over the weekend because she didn’t think her parole officer would show up at her residence on a Saturday, Bernard said.

“You were purposefully figuring out ways to get around the rules,” Bernard said. “That is criminal thinking.”

Addressing Thomas’ sentencing request, Bernard said it “sounds high but is right in the standard range.”

With Zearfaus’ request, which asked for the sentence of each count to run concurrently to each other, Bernard said, “I don’t see that Jacquelyn Gomez has earned that volume discount” when looking at her criminal record.

Bernard then sentenced Gomez to 114 to 228 months in a state correctional facility for possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, 27 to 54 months for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, 90 to 180 months for conspiracy and one year of re-entry supervision for possession of drug paraphernalia, all to run consecutively to each other. Gomez was also sentenced to 33 to 63 months for dealing in unlawful proceeds, to run concurrently to her consecutive sentence.

The two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance were merged with no further penalty imposed.

Gomez was ordered to pay $500 in fines and must undergo drug and alcohol treatment, a mental health evaluation, take an intimate partner violence course, undergo trauma informed therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. She is a person not to possess firearms.

Gomez’s father left the courtroom once the sentence for the third charge was read.

After handing down the sentence, Bernard said she felt the length of time given was necessary to both punish Gomez and protect the community.

“Despite numerous opportunities to rehabilitate herself, she has failed to do so,” Bernard said.

The latest charges were brought against Gomez after state parole agents conducted a home check and observed drug paraphernalia in her living room and Nichols sitting on her couch.

The agents contacted Altoona police, who detained Gomez and Nichols. A search warrant was later executed by the Blair County Drug Task Force, who located about 50 grams of fentanyl/heroin valued at about $21,000; 2 grams of meth valued at $200; $919 cash; two digital scales and additional paraphernalia.

At the police station, Gomez and Nichols said Gomez would obtain the narcotics and provide them to Nichols, who distributed them. When asked about the large amount of money in his wallet, Nichols said it was to be used to buy more drugs.

Nichols, of Hollidaysburg, was sentenced by Bernard in June to nine to 20 years’ incarceration after entering guilty pleas to possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, dealing in unlawful proceeds and criminal conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.