PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — Deon Hanton, 35, of Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug and gun offenses, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Hanton was charged by indictment in December 2024 with three federal counts: possession with intent to distribute marijuana; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon. In June of this year, a federal jury convicted him on all counts at trial.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Offending while still on state parole
As proven at trial, after serving prison sentences following state convictions for drug and other crimes — and while still on state parole — Hanton began trafficking significant amounts of marijuana, arming himself with a firearm that, as a convicted felon, he was not permitted to possess, the Justice Department said. That combination — drugs, a gun, and a prior felony record — is what turned a marijuana trafficking case into a 15-year federal sentence.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania court records give the background to that record. A Pennsylvania Superior Court memorandum in an appeal brought under Deon Hanton's name records that on December 19, 2013, a Philadelphia court sentenced him to six to twelve years in prison after convictions for aggravated assault, three violations of the Uniform Firearms Act, and possession of an instrument of crime. The memorandum describes a June 15, 2011 incident near 59th Street and Lansdowne Avenue in Philadelphia, in which Hakeem McGill was shot in the leg during a dispute over a marijuana sale. The Superior Court affirmed the convictions and sentence in its April 10, 2015 decision.
Source: Pennsylvania Superior Court memorandum, Com. v. Hanton (Justia)
Possession with intent to distribute covers holding marijuana in quantities and circumstances prosecutors say show it was meant for sale, not personal use. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime covers carrying or keeping a gun to protect or advance a drug operation. Felon in possession is a separate federal crime: after a felony conviction, a person is barred by federal law from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
Who ran the case
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Philadelphia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Branwen McNabb O'Donnell and Special Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Zabel, and the sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, whose office is based in Philadelphia.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia routinely take repeat, armed drug offenders into federal court, where sentences are typically longer than in state court and are served in the federal prison system. Hanton's case followed that path from the start: a December 2024 federal indictment, a June 2026 jury trial in which the government had to prove every element of all three counts beyond a reasonable doubt, and a sentencing hearing this week before Judge Scott.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
What happens next
Hanton will serve the 15-year term in federal prison. In the federal system there is no parole; when the prison term ends, the five-year period of supervised release imposed by Judge Scott begins, during which he will be monitored by federal probation officers and can be returned to prison if he violates the conditions of release. The Justice Department's announcement did not state a surrender date or identify the facility where he will serve the sentence.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of Pennsylvania