A convicted cocaine dealer from Lancaster has lost an appeal bid to overturn a jury’s conviction.
Hassan O. McBride, 33, argued on appeal that undercover police officers purchased cocaine from someone else, not him, during a 2012 surveillance operation.
A jury convicted McBride in November 2014 of felony drug-dealing. He was sentenced to an intermediate punishment program, which included: 90 days of prison with work release, six months of house-arrest, and four total years of supervision.
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Superior Court denied McBride’s request, finding that two undercover officers identified McBride at trial as the dealer.
McBride sold the cocaine, out of a car, to one state police trooper; another trooper watched, then tailed McBride before the arrest was made.
McBride, on appeal, argues the officers identified the wrong person because it was dusk at the time of the buy.
The high court dismissed that, writing in a six-page ruling that one officer’s identification alone was enough for the jury to convict.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us