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<p>SCRANTON &#8212; A court of appeals upheld a prison sentence for a woman that pleaded guilty to distributing bath salts in Northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere between 2013 and 2014.</p><p>The U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the 70-month sentence imposed on Treiu Thuy Duong, 38.</p><p>U.S. Attorney Bruce Brandler said in a news release that Duong&#8217;s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, but it was not immediately clear when she was sentenced. Brandler added that Duong, who resided in Texas at the time of the offense and later moved to Florida, claimed on appeal that her 70-month prison sentence was unreasonable.</p><p>In upholding the sentence, the appeals court reasoned that Mannion appropriately considered the defendant&#8217;s personal circumstances and engaged in a &#8220;thorough analysis&#8221; of all other relevant factors in imposing the sentence.</p><p>Duong pleaded guilty to supplying approximately 10 kilograms of alpha-pvp, which is more commonly known as bath salts. Brandler said some of Duong&#8217;s customers and sub-distributors lived in Luzerne County.</p><p>As part of her sentence, Duong forfeited to the government her interest in a residence in Texas valued at approximately $300,000, coins valued at more than $260,000, four bank accounts containing over $200,000, two vehicles, over $7,000 in cash, more than $17,000 in uncashed money orders, and two firearms.</p><p>More than 12 persons connected to the bath salts distribution operation have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to federal prison.</p><p>The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, and West Pittston Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case and handled the appeal.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Prison sentence upheld for woman accused of distributing bath salts