Abington man sent to prison on heroin trafficking charges

NORRISTOWN » A judge has sent an Abington man to prison for at least a decade after detectives found him possessing more than 6,000 packets of heroin, with an estimated street value of $65,000, and a handgun during a drug trafficking investigation.

Sabree Amir Burke, 33, of the 400 block of Meadowbrook Drive in the Huntingdon Valley section of the township, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 10 to 20 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, person not to possess a firearm and possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number in connection with incidents that occurred in 2019.

The sentence was imposed by Judge Thomas C. Branca, who said the .40-caliber Ruger pistol illegally possessed by Burke will be forfeited to the district attorney’s office.

Assistant District Attorney Lindsey Mills argued for a significant prison term against Burke, who also had ties to Trenton, N.J., and Bensalem, Bucks County, before moving to Montgomery County. Authorities alleged Burke used an Abington apartment as a so-called “stash house” for the drugs.

“It was pure heroin,” said Mills, who brought the 6,499 small packets of heroin to the courtroom for demonstrative purposes during the sentencing hearing. “He was considered a big time drug dealer and that’s a lot of heroin. That amount of drugs is incredibly significant. We don’t see numbers like that every day. Each of those bags is a lethal dose, every single one of them.

“He chose to move to Montgomery County which is where he was ultimately arrested and that’s where he’s going to be held accountable,” Mills added.

The 6,499 packets of heroin weighed about 143 grams.

Prosecutors alleged Burke also armed himself with a dangerous weapon while carrying out his drug trade. Burke had prior convictions that prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to court papers.

“Drug dealers often arm themselves because of potential threats of robbery and a lot of time you see drugs and guns go handin-hand. That’s incredibly dangerous. It certainly emphasizes how drug dealing is a dangerous business,” Mills said.

Mills successfully sought consecutive sentences for the drug and gun charges, citing the dangerous combination of drugs and guns. Branca’s total sentence included consecutive prison terms for Burke.

The investigation began in 2019 when county detectives learned about Burke’s illegal drug activity.

Investigators obtained a warrant to search Burke’s Abington apartment on Nov. 14 and when they arrived at the location they observed Burke walking toward his vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit. A search of Burke’s person uncovered two cellphones and $1,454 in cash, court papers indicate.

A search of the apartment linked to Burke uncovered the 6,499 packets of heroin and the Ruger pistol. Detectives alleged the heroin had a street value of $65,000.

Defense lawyer Michael Diamondstein represented Burke.

The investigation was conducted by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Narcotics Enforcement Team, Abington Township Police, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mercer County, N.J., Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force.