Wilkes-Barre man sentenced on firearm, drug trafficking convictions

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WILKES-BARRE — A man convicted by a Luzerne County jury on a firearm offense and pled guilty to delivering crack cocaine was sentenced in Luzerne County Court to up to two decades in state prison.

Judge David W. Lupas on Friday sentenced Jeremy Battle, 34, formerly of New Market Street, Wilkes-Barre, to seven years, six months to 20 years in prison on charges of illegal possession of a firearm and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

A jury convicted Battle of the firearm offense following a second trial in June 2023, and Battle pled guilty to the drug delivery charge.

Battle’s first trial in April 2023, on the firearm offense was declared a mistrial when the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Battle was charged by Wilkes-Barre police when a .38-caliber revolver and 47 rounds of .38-caliber ammunition were found during an execution of a search warrant at his New Market Street residence in January 2021, according to court records.

Police served the search warrant due to an undercover drug investigation.

Battle, who testified during his June 2023 trial, claimed the firearm belonged to another person.

The firearm offense and drug trafficking charges were prosecuted separately.

Former assistant district attorney Drew McLaughlin prosecuted Battle on the firearm offense, and Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Green prosecuted the drug delivery charge.