Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin announced today President Judge Gregory Chelak sentenced Ricky Land Jr., age 40, to state prison for a period of 15 years and three months up to a period of 30.5 years. 

A jury in September found Land guilty of two counts of Possessing a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Deliver, one count of Criminal Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Resisting Arrest and Tampering with Evidence. 

The conviction came after a three-day trial in front a jury of nine women and three men.  The charges were the result of two different cases involving Land.  The first was an investigation through the Pike County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigative Division that involved the sale of controlled substances.  The second case involved a traffic stop by members of the Pennsylvania State Police.

During the trial, the jury heard testimony from Detectives from the District Attorney’s Office that involved undercover controlled buys of various substances including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from a co-conspirator of Land’s back in 2020 on several different dates which occurred in Shohola, Westfall and Dingman Townships. 

While that investigation was still pending, two State Troopers stopped Land on Route 6 in Dingman Township in October of 2020 after noticing him committing several traffic infractions.  After stopping Land, the Troopers noticed him attempting to conceal something with his right hand. 

The Troopers then asked Land to step out of his vehicle which immediately upon doing he then began to run away.  As he ran, Land threw a bag full of approximately 109 grams of cocaine into the woods.  Land was tackled by one of the Troopers who in trying to subdue him noticed he was reaching in a pocket.  After Land was tased and placed in handcuffs, the Troopers found a knife in the pocket Land was attempting to access during the struggle.  The Troopers also recovered 48 bags filled with heroin and fentanyl along with $2,250 in cash.  Part of the testimony at trial involved a member of the Pennsylvania State Police Vice Unit who testified that the cocaine had a street value of approximately $11,000.

During the trial, a co-conspirator of Land’s testified how Land ran his drug operation.  The co-conspirator testified that Land would have others sell the drugs on his behalf for the purpose of his protection from law enforcement.  She testified that Land stated that he was like a king in a game of chess and it was the purpose of the other pieces to protect him.  At sentencing, First Assistant District Attorney Bruce DeSarro, who prosecuted the case, argued to the court that Land was a professional career criminal and should be put in state prison for as long as possible.  DeSarro in supporting his argument pointed to Land’s prior Attempted Murder conviction in New York for which he was sentenced to 16.5 years.  Further, DeSarro noted that since his release from incarceration, Land was arrested in New York three more times and currently has four more cases pending against him for which warrants are outstanding for his arrest between the states of New York and New Jersey.

Land is currently in custody at the Pike County Correctional Facility awaiting transfer to a state prison facility.