SUNBURY - One day after pleading guilty to four felony counts of delivering crack cocaine in Shamokin and Coal Township, Rufus Hudson, 37, of Harrisburg, was sentenced to serve 21 months to 5 years in a state correctional institution.
The sentence was imposed Tuesday afternoon by Northumberland County President Robert B. Sacavage after he reviewed a pre-sentence investigation report and took into account Hudson's extensive criminal history that resulted in a prior record score of 5.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Toomey said the judge wanted to impose a harsher sentence, but settled on the minimum of 21 months after conferring with the district attorney's office.
"We accepted the plea because of possible evidentiary problems that could have come up at trial," explained Toomey. "The plea was offered with those difficulties in mind, and the defendant agreed to take the plea. He wanted a state sentence imposed as soon as possible so he could get more extensive treatment for gunshot wounds he claimed to have suffered in a drive-by shooting in Harrisburg in November while he was on parole."
Efforts to confirm with law enforcement authorities that Hudson's injuries to his ribs, elbow and leg came from a drive-by shooting were not successful. He was recommitted to Northumberland County Prison to await transfer to a state correctional institution.
Sometimes defendants are sentenced immediately after entering guilty pleas, while other times a judge allows up to 90 days for sentencing.
Toomey added, "It was in the best interest of county residents to sentence him right away."
Hudson, who was represented by county Public Defender Michael Suders, has had various run-ins with the law over the years, including a criminal conspiracy to commit murder offense relating to a November 2001 incident in Dauphin County, and leading area police officers on a wild car chase in February 2006 following an undercover drug operation in Shamokin.
He was sentenced on the drug and eluding police charges in March 2007 to four to eight years in state prison.
He was most recently charged with 15 offenses by Ralpho Township Patrolman Christopher Grow and Cpl. Bryan Primerano in connection with four crack cocaine deals in Shamokin and Coal Township. The remaining charges were not prosecuted Tuesday.