Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Seaford Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison
Heroin was stamped “Donald Trump”
WILMINGTON, Del. – Bob Bennett, of Seaford, was sentenced today to 66 months in federal prison for possessing a gun and distributing heroin in Seaford. Bennett pled guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).
On November 4, 2016, ATF and the Seaford Police Department executed a search warrant on Bennett’s home and car in Seaford. The search revealed a loaded, .40-caliber firearm in the same room as two safes, the contents of which included 3,250 individual bags of heroin stamped “Donald Trump.” Nearby, officers found an additional 109 bags of heroin, stamped “Donald Trump” or “Ferrari,” as well as a total of $2,418 in cash. Agents recovered a number of other items in the house.
“The Court’s sentence reflects the severity of Mr. Bennett’s actions and the risks those actions presented to the Seaford community,” Acting United States Attorney David C. Weiss said. “Bennett was responsible for introducing a large amount of heroin into the community. Worse, he used guns to further that activity—even providing weapons to the dealers selling his heroin. This is exactly the type of destructive, and potentially violent, criminal that the U.S. Department of Justice, the ATF, and Seaford PD want to get off of our streets.”
“Armed narcotics traffickers pose a defined threat to the citizens in Seaford and throughout Delaware,” said Daniel L. Board Jr., the Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Baltimore Field Division. “However, ATF will continue to be unwavering in our response to these threats. We will proactively fight violent crime at every turn by targeting, investigating and partnering in the prosecution of those who seek to reduce the quality of life in our communities.”
As noted above, District Court Judge Gregory M. Sleet sentenced Bennett to sixty-six (66) months in prison and three (3) years of supervised release. In sentencing Bennett, Judge Sleet made clear that he was disconcerted by Bennett’s nearly twenty years of involvement with the criminal justice system, especially the fact that Bennett turned to utilizing guns in furtherance of his heroin distribution activities. Judge Sleet noted that he hoped this sentence will spur Bennett to a rehabilitated life for both him and his children.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Seaford Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander S. Mackler and Lesley F. Wolf prosecuted the case.
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