Referring to Matthew Hosey’s criminal history, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence F. McVerry, Pittsburgh, noted that time spent in jail did not deter Hosey.

“You have an exceedingly long history of criminal activity, dating back to 1970, interrupted only by periods of incarceration,” McVerry told Hosey, 56, formerly of Leslie Street, Sharon.

Hosey’s previous state convictions on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of delivery of a controlled substance made him a career offender under federal law.

Hosey, who pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of crack cocaine, had a stable childhood, schooling to grade 11 and periods of productive employment, but a marijuana abuse problem — Hosey acknowledged smoking five pot-filled cigars a day in recent years — and occasional episodes of violence, McVerry said.

“It’s clear that the public needs to be protected from you,” McVerry said.

The judge imposed a prison sentence of 21 years and 10 months, followed by 8 years of supervised release.

The 262-month sentence was at the low end of sentencing guidelines, which were 262 to 327 months.

Defense attorney Tedd C. Nesbit of Grove City had asked the judge to consider Hosey’s age, that he has children, and that he took responsibility for the charge.

“I’m sorry for what I did and hope you’ll see in my favor that the sentence is not too harsh,” Hosey said.

McVerry, who had the option of a prison term from 10 years to life, allowed the sentence to run concurrent with a prison term of 11è to 23 months in Mercer County Jail Hosey is serving on a charge of aggravated assault.

Hosey is one of 23 people charged by federal authorities this year in a probe of drug and gun sales in the Shenango Valley by federal, state and local police. He was the first of five to plead guilty so far, and the first to be sentenced.

Hosey was targeted by state police, who learned that he had been staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Hermitage, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti. Police staked out the motel and saw suspected drug users making frequent, short visits to Hosey’s room.

Police confronted Hosey in the lobby on April 1, 2007. Hosey admitted he had marijuana and gave police consent to search his room. Police found 13 bags of crack totaling 7.36 grams, and drug paraphernalia such as a digital scale.

In the aggravated assault case, Hosey was sentenced in January after pleading guilty March 20, 2007, to beating a Sharon man with a wooden baseball bat May 4, 2006, in the 400 block of Leslie Street in Sharon.