'I wasn't raised this way' Hempfield man who got involved with drugs tells judge

A Hempfield man who turned to drugs and then began selling them to support his own habit was sentenced to jail and probation Friday.

“I wasn’t raised this way and I’m sorry for what I did,” said Chad J. Gilbert, 53. “All my life I worked hard and I ruined it all.”

He was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months in the Westmoreland County Prison followed by three years of probation.

Gilbert pleaded guilty to drug charges in two cases in May. The charges stemmed from separate searches about a year apart in 2020 and 2021 that resulted in significant drug seizures. Court papers indicate the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force in 2021 reported confiscating 61 bricks of drugs, guns and cash that were hidden throughout the house. The drugs seized that day had a street value of more than $30,000.

The previous year, state troopers found about 30 bricks and more cash. A brick contains 50 stamp bags of drugs.

Defense attorney Patrick Thomassey called it a “sad case” for a person who got caught up in drugs. He asked Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio consider Gilbert’s otherwise law abiding life and support from family in crafting a sentence.

He was ordered to pay about $19,000 in lab fees and forfeit one handgun and two shotguns.

“I do understand what brought rise to this situation … but I also do consider the fact that you weren’t really dabbling in just a little bit of drugs here, this was a big deal,” Bilik-DeFazio said. “My gut is telling me that I don’t have to worry about you getting involved with drugs again.”

Gilbert was given credit for 59 days served in jail.