A Spartansburg man was sentenced in connection to a Pittsfield-based cocaine ring Friday morning during Warren County Sentence Court proceedings.
Timothy Soliwoda, 42, of 23731 Byler Rd., Spartansburg, was sentenced to between one and four years in a state correctional facility by Judge Gregory Hammond.
Soliwoda is one of two Spartansburg men implicated in a grand jury investigation into a cocaine distribution network run out of the Pittsfield home of Joseph Richard Cieslak, Sr.
Soliwoda and Thomas A. Lindstrom, Sr. were involved in purchasing cocaine from Cieslak for re-sale and distribution. Investigation led to Soliwoda being charged with three counts each of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine as well as a count of conspiracy to deliver cocaine.
During the investigation, Soliwoda's testimony admitted he had bought and later resold between five and ten ounces of cocaine from Cieslak since 2010. The grand jury found, specifically, that he had sold nearly two ounces of cocaine to a confidential informant on three separate occasions between April and August 2010.
As part of a plea agreement, Soliwoda was sentenced on only one count of delivery of a controlled substance.
"I am taking into consideration that you benefited greatly from a plea agreement," Hammond said before passing sentence. "You weren't selling cocaine to feed your own habit... you made a clear-headed decision to sell cocaine to others."
Hammond also noted Soliwoda had faced addiction problems, but has been sober for nearly more than a decade.
"Being clean and sober for 17 years indicates that you were aware of the devastation that addiction can cause and disregarded that," Hammond said.
Soliwoda was sentenced to serve between 12 and 48 months in a state correctional institution, have his driving privileges suspended for six months, undergo DNA testing and pay any remaining lab fees pursuant to the case. He was also sentenced to pay fines and costs totaling $5,700.
Prior to sentencing, Soliwoda apologized to the court and community, and apologized to his family for the "embarrassment I've caused."