New London restaurant owner Joshua Feldman was sentenced to four years of probation on Wednesday for drug distribution.

Feldman, the 47-year-old co-owner of Noble restaurant on Bank Street, is one of the 26 New London-area defendants indicted in 2019 on federal drug trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in June 2019 to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 to 100 grams of cocaine.

Feldman appeared virtually Wednesday before Senior U.S. Judge for the District of Connecticut Vanessa L. Bryant, who sentenced him and ordered him to serve 100 hours of community service in the first year of probation, preferably in offering food services to individuals suffering from addiction.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, Feldman faced 10 to 16 months in prison, a minimum term of three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $55,000. His attorney, Robert Golger, asked the judge not to sentence Feldman to time in prison.

Golger said he saw a transformation in his client, who he said “has a lot to live for” and had “stabilized his life” since the time of his arrest.

Feldman, he said, addressed his own substance abuse issues, sought counseling, completed the Court Support program and was focused on running his business and being a good parent to his children.

Golger said his client “met the standard the court looks to” for making an effort “to turn his life around.”

Feldman’s case was nolled in the New London District Court last month, meaning the state will not be prosecuting him on narcotics distribution charges, since he was facing consequences for the same offense in federal court. If he doesn’t get into any legal trouble in the next 13 months, his case will be dismissed on the state level.

t.hartz@theday.com