HOLLIDAYSBURG — A member of the alleged Altoona drug ring whose actions resulted in the overdose death of a Blair County woman in November 2022 pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and fentanyl in exchange for a county jail sentence.

Milton Lavale Williams, 49, was sentenced by Senior Judge Michael A. George of Adams County to six months to 23.5 months in the Blair County Prison. He was also ordered to serve two years’ probation upon release, according to Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Madeira.

Williams’ remaining felony charges of possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit possession, criminal use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and corrupt organizations were withdrawn and dismissed as a part of the plea deal.

The criminal charges were recommended in early July following a statewide grand jury investigation into the alleged drug ring, whose other members included Ricky Sharif Joyner-Bennett, 45; Tareek Alquan Hemingway, 32; Cecylia Antoinette Thompson, 33; Matthew Lewis Rodriguez, 40; Kirsten Lindsay Wright, 35, all of Altoona; and Laura Rutherford Horne, 28, of Hollidaysburg.

The report detailed purchases of narcotics by confidential informants, as well as witness interviews and testimony from four customers who bought drugs from the group over a period of several years.

In one case, a customer reported purchasing $50,000 worth of cocaine from Horne over a period of a year-plus. Another customer said she spent $31,000 on cocaine from August 2023 to July 2024.

Witnesses stated group members would travel to Baltimore to buy large quantities of drugs to sell in the Blair County area.

The drug trafficking investigation began after Altoona police received a call in November 2022 for a suspected drug overdose.

They found a woman who had died of a multi-drug overdose that included fentanyl and cocaine. Police searched the area and found half of a blue pill and a white powder, which were later tested and confirmed to be fentanyl and cocaine, according to the report.

During the death investigation, police learned a female had delivered drugs to the victim earlier that evening. This female told the grand jury she sourced the drugs from Joyner-Bennett, and that Joyner-Bennett had represented the blue pill as a form of oxycodone.

The forensic pathologist determined the concentration of fentanyl in the victim’s body was sufficient to have caused her death.

Williams’ co-defendants’ cases remain ongoing.

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