Middle District of Pennsylvania

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Angel Romeu, age 37, of St. Clair, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 15, 2021 to 127 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. 

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, between October 1, 2015 and April 9, 2016, Romeu conspired to distribute over 1.5 kilograms but less than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Schuylkill County. 

The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)- Philadelphia Division, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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HARRISBURG – Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler today announced that the investigation into nine ballots that were discarded by a former temporary employee of the Luzerne County Elections Bureau has been concluded.

“After a thorough investigation conducted by the FBI and prosecutors from my office, we have determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove criminal intent on the part of the person who discarded the ballots,” said Brandler. “Therefore, no criminal charges will be filed and the matter is closed.”

The federal investigation resulted from a request by the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office after it learned that nine completed general election ballots had been received and discarded by the former employee. The investigation revealed that the nine completed military ballots were discarded and subsequently retrieved from a dumpster.

Acting U.S. Attorney Brandler thanked the FBI for devoting the necessary resources to conduct a thorough and complete investigation. He also thanked the staff of the Elections Bureau and other Luzerne County officials for cooperating with investigators and prosecutors.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on January 11, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed both the conviction and 27-month prison sentence of Murray Rojas, age, 54, of Grantville, Pennsylvania. That sentence was imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo on May 6, 2019, after Rojas was convicted by a jury on multiple counts of causing prescription animal drugs to become misbranded in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), as well as conspiracy to commit misbranding.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, between 2002 and 2014, Rojas directed veterinarians to administer drugs to horses at Penn National Racetrack on race day in violation of track rules and state law. Rojas argued on appeal that the District Court failed to properly instruct the jury on the distinction between the terms “administer” and “dispense,” as used in the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as it pertained to Rojas directing vets to inject animal drugs into her horses on race day.  The Court of Appeals disagreed and found that Congress intended the term “dispense” to include situations in which a veterinarian personally administers a drug, and that Rojas caused that unlawful dispensing when she ordered the veterinarians to inject the horses. The Court of Appeals also held that the Government presented sufficient evidence at trial that Penn National veterinarians dispensed prohibited drugs when they injected Rojas’s horses within twenty-fours of post time at Rojas’s direction, and that Rojas herself also injected the prohibited drugs into her horses within twenty-four hours of post time, all in violation of the FDCA.

The Court of Appeals also rejected Rojas’ claim that Judge Rambo erred in excluding evidence that the drugs given to the horses were for therapeutic purposes and were not performance enhancing drugs.  The Court of Appeals held that Pennsylvania’s horse racing regulations prohibit administering almost all drugs to horses within twenty-four hours of post time and the regulations do not distinguish between therapeutic and performance-enhancing drugs.

Finally, the Court of Appeals upheld Judge Rambo’s sentencing Rojas for felony, rather than misdemeanor, misbranding violations.  The Court of Appeals found that Rojas acted with the requisite intent to defraud or mislead, which is a requirement for a felony misbranding conviction.

The case was investigated by the by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Horse Racing Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. The government was represented by William Behe, Assistant United States Attorney, John Claud, Assistant Director, DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Laura Pawloski, Senior Counsel, FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Troy J. Blanchard, age 31, of Portland, Maine, to 33 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to assault another inmate in retaliation for that individual’s past cooperation with law enforcement as a witness or informant.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, on or about February 28, 2019, while incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Canaan (USP Canaan), in Waymart, Pennsylvania, Blanchard, along with a co-defendant, conspired to assault and did assault the victim, also an inmate at USP Canaan, by repeatedly striking the victim several times about the head and body with closed fists.  The motivation for this assault was the defendants’ belief that the victim had been a government witness or informant.  The 33-month sentence that Blanchard received was ordered to run consecutively to the federal sentence that Blanchard was serving at the time of the assault.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.

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SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lynne Mineo, age 72, and Richard Mineo, age 67, both of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, were charged in a criminal information with tax evasion.

According to Acting United States Bruce D. Brandler, the information alleges that the Mineos, who are husband and wife, failed to report a total of $550,469.92 in income between tax years 2014 ($145,205), 2015 ($169,346), 2016 ($153,749), and 2017 ($82,168).  The income was for the Mineos’ business, a beer retail store called Mineo’s Brewer’s Outlet, located in Dunmore, Pennsylvania.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eddie Pace, age 46, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment followed by eight years on supervised release on January 8, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for drug trafficking. The sentence consists of 102 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy and 12 months’ imprisonment for violating supervised release.

According to Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Pace previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy during 2012 through March 2015. Pace was a leader of the drug conspiracy and possessed a firearm in connection with the offense. The conspiracy involved over 100 grams of heroin and more than 500 grams of cocaine (quantity of heroin involved in the conspiracy exceeded 4,000 retail bags).

Pace was one of seven defendants charged in the case. Others previously sentenced in the case were:

• Myron Owens—140 months;
• Daryl Trent—90 months;
• Anton Woodson—63 months;
• William Young—60 months;
• Shawnette Isaac—30 months; and
• Catherine Abbey—12 months.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Scranton Police Department, and local police in Monroe County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

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HARRISBURG – Acting United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler provides the following statement:

“The violence and destruction that occurred yesterday at our Nation’s Capitol Building was reprehensible and repugnant.  Our office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law any individual who traveled from the Middle District of Pennsylvania to Washington D.C. with the intent to incite or commit those violent and destructive acts. We also stand ready to assist our law enforcement partners to identify any individual who committed any federal offense connected to those abhorrent activities.” 

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bruce D. Brandler has been appointed Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania effective January 2, 2021.  Mr. Brandler was appointed upon the resignation of former United States Attorney David J. Freed, which became effective at midnight on January 1, 2021.  Mr. Brandler’s appointment is for three hundred days or until a Presidential appointment is made, whichever occurs first.

Mr. Brandler previously served as United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania between October 2, 2016, and November 26, 2017.  He was first appointed to the position by former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch on October 2, 2016, and then reappointed by Order of the District Court Judges on January 30, 2017.  Mr. Brandler served as First Assistant United States Attorney under former United States Attorney David J. Freed between November 27, 2017, and January 1, 2021.

Mr. Brandler began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, where he served from 1981 until 1985.  Upon leaving the District Attorney’s Office, he became the Deputy Chief and then the Chief Investigative Counsel of the New York State Senate Committee on Investigations, Taxation and Government Operations from 1985 to 1986.

Mr. Brandler was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 1986 and was promoted to the position of Senior Litigation Counsel in 1992.  In 2014, he became the Chief of the Criminal Division and served in that capacity until his appointment as United States Attorney in October 2016.

During his tenure as an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Brandler specialized in complex white-collar prosecutions, including high-profile public corruption cases. Some of the notable cases Mr. Brandler prosecuted included a tax evasion case against former Luzerne County Judge Arthur Dalessandro; a perjury case against former State Representative Frank Serafini; a bribery/extortion case against former Lackawanna County Commissioners Robert Cordaro and Anthony Munchak; an illegal campaign contribution and fraud case against Renato Mariani, the former President of Empire Sanitary Landfill, Inc.; a disadvantaged business enterprise fraud case against Joseph Nagle, the former President of Schuylkill Products, Inc.; an accounting fraud case against Paul Polishan, the former Chief Financial Officer for the Leslie Fay Companies, Inc.; and an environmental crimes case against Chemical Waste Management, Inc. for illegal dumping activities at a Superfund site in Lackawanna County.

Mr. Brandler graduated from Stony Brook University in 1978 and received a B.A. in Political Science with honors, and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.  He received his law degree in 1981 from the Boston University School of Law.  He resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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HARRISBURG – United States Attorney David J. Freed, of Camp Hill, PA, has announced his resignation effective midnight January 1, 2021. Mr. Freed is departing the office after serving for more than three years as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which consists of 33 counties in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania and has offices in Harrisburg, Scranton, and Williamsport.  Mr. Freed was nominated as United States Attorney by Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, appointed by President Donald Trump in September, 2017, confirmed by the United States Senate in November, 2017, and sworn in as United States Attorney on November 27th, 2017.

Mr. Freed was born in West Chester, PA, and raised first in Pottsville, PA, and later Camp Hill, PA, where he resides with his family.  He is a graduate of Camp Hill High School, Washington and Lee University, and the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law.  Prior to his appointment as United States Attorney, Mr. Freed served for twelve years as the District Attorney of Cumberland County.

“I have been enormously privileged to be able to serve my fellow citizens, first as a young prosecutor in York County, then later in several positions in Cumberland County including 12 years as District Attorney, and finally as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  I have done my best to be thoughtful and consistent, and to provide justice to my fellow citizens in a fair, effective and efficient manner.  I am grateful to President Trump and Senators Toomey and Casey for the opportunity to serve; and to former Attorneys General Sessions and Barr for their leadership of the Department.”

“I have had the incredible opportunity to work with our brave men and women in law enforcement nearly every day for the past 20 years and continue to be amazed by their commitment to their fellow citizens.  I have witnessed first-hand the fortitude and grace of victims of crime, and have taken to heart the awesome responsibility of speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.” 

“For the past three years, I have had the great fortune to work with the highly skilled attorneys and staff in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  It is an office blessed with experienced and dedicated leaders, and colleagues who truly understand the importance of working together for the benefit of their fellow citizens. It was not difficult to recognize, frankly before I even started, that the office was efficient and productive, and was in need of very little change. More than anything over the past three years, I have endeavored above all to tell the story of the great accomplishments of the office. While the public words are mine, the accomplishments belong to them.”

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania consists of three distinct Divisions: Criminal, Civil, and Administrative.  The accomplishments of each Division during Mr. Freed’s tenure are many and varied.

Criminal

Foremost among the office’s accomplishments during Mr. Freed’s tenure has been the continued commitment to working together with state and local partners in an effort to reduce violent crimes in targeted areas throughout the District.  As part of the Department of Justice priority programs Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the office has worked hand in hand with District Attorneys, state and local law enforcement and community partners in target areas including the cities of Harrisburg, Wilkes Barre, Williamsport, and York to address gun violence at a micro level. I am happy to report that our efforts have been successful as reflected by recent statistics showing significant reductions in gun violence throughout the District. In addition, the office pursued and successfully prosecuted numerous priority cases in the areas of public corruption, drug trafficking, drug delivery resulting in death, drug distribution and illegal prescribing by medical professionals, fraud, sex trafficking and exploitation of minors, environmental crimes and illegal immigration.

Civil

The office’s Civil Division has wide areas of responsibility, from defending federal agencies and employees in civil matters to immigration, discrimination matters, and prisoner litigation.  Following a reorganization of the office’s affirmative civil efforts, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit was formed to allow a dedicated team of attorneys and investigators to attack fraud against the government.  The ACE unit has enjoyed nearly immediate success, bringing cases and negotiating the return of millions of taxpayer dollars that individuals and businesses had obtained by fraudulent means.  The Civil Division continues to focus upon important polling place access discrimination cases throughout the district with the goal of ensuring that every eligible citizen will be able to cast a vote regardless of any disability.  With a federal prison population that is larger than all but two other districts in the nation, the dedicated prisoner litigation attorneys and paralegals handle a constant stream of cases from the district’s federal correctional institutions with extremely favorable outcomes.

Administrative

Notwithstanding the current pandemic and the longest government shutdown in United States history, the office’s Administrative Division has been exceedingly productive during the past three years.  Chief among these accomplishments has been the institution of a yearly strategic planning process including individual employee self-assessments and clear yearly goals updated annually and monitored throughout the year.  In addition, the support of the Administrative Division has allowed the Financial Litigation Unit to collect well in excess of the District’s budget each year, and allowed the District to maintain its position as the one of the most productive medium sized offices in the nation. 

Upon Mr. Freed’s departure, First Assistant United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler will assume the position of United States Attorney pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act.  Mr. Brandler has been with the office for more than 30 years, and previously served as United States Attorney from 2016 to 2017.

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WILLIAMSPORT – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 10, 2020, Daniel P. Sickels, age 46, of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and false statement charges.

According to David J. Freed, the indictment charges Sickels, a Network and Systems Manager at Pennsylvania State University (“PSU), with fraudulently acquiring equipment that he subsequently sold to third parties.  The scheme lasted from 2005 to 2017.  Sickels is also charged with falsely telling investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he never received payment for items that were purchased by PSU.

The matter was investigated by investigators at PSU and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Sickels faces maximum penalties of 25 years’ imprisonment, a fine of twice the gross gain or loss, and 8 years of supervised release when he is sentenced. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Saul Carrasco, age 36, of Simi Valley, California, was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment on December 15, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Carrasco previously pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy during July through November 2018. Carrasco admitted that he agreed with others to transport the heroin from California to Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement officers seized two kilograms of heroin, which is approximately equivalent to 80,000 individual retail bags of heroin, from a vehicle Carrasco was traveling in.  

The leader of the California based drug trafficking operation, Crispin Fernandez, another California resident, was previously sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment. Judge Mannion also ordered Carrasco to serve five years on supervised release following his prison sentence.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.     

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 9, 2020, Francisco Rodriguez-Polanco, age 35, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment and a two-year term of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, for conspiring to defraud the government and for committing aggravated identity theft.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Rodriguez-Polanco pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the government between January 2015 to July 2016.  Rodriguez-Polanco and his conspirators obtained fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks by stealing victims’ identities and using those stolen identities to file false tax returns that generated significant refunds.  Rodriguez-Polanco and his conspirators then secured the fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks and cashed them at various check cashing businesses, including several in Pennsylvania.  Rodriguez-Polanco admitted that between $550, 000 and $1.5 million in losses occurred as a result of the criminal activity.

Judge Mariani also ordered Rodriguez-Polanco to pay $857,729.65 in restitution.  Rodriguez-Polanco is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and faces deportation at the conclusion of his sentence of imprisonment.

Rodriguez-Polanco’s codefendant, Marien Torres-Acevedo, and another coconspirator, Julio Polanco Suarez, both pleaded guilty to similar offenses and await sentencing.  A third coconspirator, Alfred LiPuma, age 81, was previously sentenced to three years of probation and paid $2.1 million in restitution and fines.

The matter was investigated by agents from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspectors, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.  Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

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HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 9, 2020, Kelvin Aggrey-Arthur, age 27, formerly of Newark, New Jersey, and Ibrahim Adam, age 32, formerly of New York City, were indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and conspiring to commit wire fraud.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that from June 2018 through March 2020, Aggrey-Arthur, Adam, and others perpetrated a romance scam in which they developed online relationships with victims and then requested that those victims send them money for various reasons, including travel, medical treatment, housing, and schooling.  The indictment further alleges that during the course of the scam, the co-conspirators attempted to obtain over $160,000 from victims.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Susquehanna Township Police Department, and the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for each of the charged crimes is 20 years’ imprisonment.  The maximum penalty also includes a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jessica Hernandez-Boria, age 40, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 9, 2020, to 102 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed approximately three kilograms of cocaine. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hernandez-Boria previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute approximately three kilograms cocaine throughout Hazleton, Luzerne County, between September 2018 and February 2019.  Hernandez-Boria also admitted to arming herself with a .40 caliber Glock firearm in furtherance of her drug trafficking activities.

Hernandez-Boria’s conviction and sentence resulted from a federal investigation which focused on the defendant’s residence in Hazleton where she frequently received large packages containing cocaine via the U.S. Mail from a source located in Puerto Rico.  Hernandez-Boria delivered the packages to other drug dealers and was paid cash for her role in the conspiracy.

Judge Mariani also ordered Hernandez-Boria to serve four years of supervised release following her prison sentence.  In addition to the firearm, federal agents also seized approximately $5,750 in cash from Hernandez-Boria at the time of her arrest, which was forfeited as a resulted of her prosecution.

The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 9, 2020, Rafael Lora, age 45, to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and a two-year term of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Lora, his co-defendant Luis Santos, and other individuals conspired to import nearly a kilogram of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Lora’s residence in Hazleton.  The conspirators were apprehended while opening the package of cocaine at Lora’s residence.  Lora’s codefendant, Santos, previously was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment for his role in the offense.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspectors, Customs and Border Patrol, and other state and local law enforcement agencies.  Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 10, 2020, Mitchell Ocker-Mullen, age 23, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of five explosive devices.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the three-count indictment alleges that Ocker-Mullen received and possessed five grenades from on or about October 12, 2020 through October 29, 2020.  The indictment also alleges that Ocker-Milton was prohibited from possessing the explosives because he had been previously convicted of a felony offense in Centre County.  In addition, the indictment alleges that Ocker-Mullen was not licensed to possess the grenades and had not registered the explosives in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

The case was investigated by the Bellefonte Police Department and the FBI.   Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel is prosecuting the case.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for each of the three offenses is 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Juan Elvis Monsanto, age 60, of Hazleton, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced on December 8, 2020, to 65 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for trafficking in cocaine and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.   

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Monsanto previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine. Monsanto committed the crime in February 2016, in Hazleton.

Judge Mariani also ordered Monsanto to serve four years on supervised release following his prison sentence. Monsanto also faces possible deportation as a result of his conviction.

Monsanto was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2016, as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Hazleton Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 7, 2020, Rishi Budhadev, age 25, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. The case was unsealed following Budhadev’s arrest on December 1, 2020.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that between October 2015 and December 2015, Budhadev, working with other unnamed co-conspirators, defrauded victims using common advance-fee mass marketing scams. Budhadev’s victims included a 72-year-old widow from the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  The indictment also alleges that this victim sent a MoneyGram money transfer to Budhadev after an individual impersonating a U.S. Government agent told her that she needed to pay money to redeem benefits to which she was entitled because of her late husband’s military service.

The indictment also alleges that Budhadev received approximately 500 MoneyGram money orders worth over $500,000, including about 300 MoneyGram money orders worth over $407,000 from more than 250 senders that he picked up from seven different Walmart stores.  On November 13, 2015, Budhadev picked up 13 MoneyGram money transfers totaling approximately $27,000 from five different Richmond, Virginia area Walmart stores.  Similarly, on December 4, 2015, Budhadev picked up 38 MoneyGram money transfers totaling approximately $34,000 from five different Richmond, Virginia area Walmart stores. 

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment.  These charges may also carry a fine and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hakim Wilburn, age 50, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 198 months’ imprisonment on December 3, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than a 1,000 grams of heroin and other drugs. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Wilburn previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin (which is equivalent to more than 50,000 retail bags) between 2015 and 2018, throughout Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties. Wilburn also admitted that he distributed more than 500 grams of cocaine during the conspiracy.

Wilburn’s conviction and sentence resulted from a federal investigation involving both Wilburn and his wife, Danielle Moorer.  Moorer also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin and is awaiting sentencing.

Judge Mariani also ordered Wilburn to serve ten years of supervised release following his prison sentence.  Federal agents also seized approximately $100,000 in cash from Wilburn, which was forfeited as a resulted of Wilburn’s prosecution, along with multiple Rolex watches, vehicles, and four firearms. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Arthur Taylor, age 38, was sentenced on December 2, 2020, to seven years’ imprisonment followed by four years on supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Taylor previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin (which is equivalent to more than 4,000 retail bags) between 2010 and 2015, in Pennsylvania and Maine.

Taylor’s conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation into the activities of a street gang known as the Black P-Stones. The male gang members were “beaten-in” to the gang and female members were “sexed-in” to the gang. The members of the Black P-Stones obtained heroin and other drugs, including heroin and “molly,” in New York and distributed the drugs in Stroudsburg and locations in the state of Maine. Couriers were used to transport heroin from New York to Maine.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, members of the Pennsylvania State Police, state and local police in Maine, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and local police in Monroe County.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 4, 2020, Christopher Texidor, age 33, William Kuduk, age 34, Justin Laboy, age 33, Jose Laboy, age 36, and Jonathan Cobaugh, age 23, all from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Jamie Valenzuela, age 29, of Santa Ana, California, were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking, violence, and firearms charges. The case was unsealed following the arrests of Texido, Kuduk, Justin and Jose Laboy, and Cobaugh on November 5, 2020 and Valenzuela on November 25, 2020.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that between October 2018 until May 2020, the defendants operated a marijuana smuggling operation out of Fastlane Auto Sales located on Paxton Street in Harrisburg. It is alleged that defendants mailed hundreds of parcels full of marijuana from California to Harrisburg and mailed cash back to California. The indictment also alleges that defendants used a sophisticated system of GPS tracking devices, which they placed in their parcels, to keep track of their drugs and money.  Through this the scheme, it’s alleged that defendants brought thousands of pounds of marijuana to the Harrisburg area worth millions of dollars.

The indictment further alleges that defendants used guns, robbery, and kidnapping as tools to keep their criminal operation running. The defendants raided a home in Harrisburg of a person suspected of interfering with their drug trafficking activities; shot into an occupied home in Susquehanna Township; attempted to restrain and then robbed a victim of a motor vehicle in Highspire; and placed a tracking device on a vehicle to surveil a person believed to be interfering with their drug trafficking activities.  

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses are life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on December 1, 2020, Daniel Gologan, age 31, of Romania, was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, for bank fraud and identity theft offenses.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Gologan was convicted of conspiring to commit bank fraud between October 6, 2018 and October 21, 2018, and of aggravated identity theft.  Gologan pleaded guilty to obtaining counterfeit debit cards bearing stolen account numbers and PINs in New York, and transporting them to South Abington Township, Pennsylvania.  In Pennsylvania, Gologan and his coconspirator, Costel Aparaschivei used the counterfeit debit cards at Penn East Federal Credit Union and attempted to withdraw approximately $144,620.  The conspirators successfully withdrew $66,510, which Judge Mariani ordered to be paid as restitution.

Gologan will be deported to Romania following the conclusion of his sentence.  Gologan’s coconspirator, Aparaschivei, also pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and awaits sentencing.

The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and by the South Abington Township Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brian A. Salvado, age 46, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 25, 2020, to 20 years’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for exploitation of minors.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, between 2016 and 2107, Salvado used a dating site and his cellular telephone to communicate online and via text message with 11 minor victims for the purpose of producing child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 24, 2020, Kaylyn Wolfe, age 32, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to one day of imprisonment and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, for embezzling from Members 1st Federal Credit Union.  The term of supervised release includes six months of a curfew and electronic monitoring.  Wolfe was also ordered to pay $85,679 in restitution.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Wolfe previously admitted that she committed the offense from September 2016 through September 2017, while employed in the Members 1st credit card services department.  Wolfe acknowledged that she made numerous unauthorized changes to her and her husband’s Members 1st credit card accounts that allowed her to, among other things, obtain significant cash advances.  

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 17, 2020, Robert Jackson, age 42, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug distribution resulting in death.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Jackson knowingly and intentionally distributed a controlled substance, fentanyl, within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of a person.

The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department.  United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. 

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute for drug distribution resulting in death is life imprisonment.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs.  For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 23, 2020, Terrance Hawkins, age 28, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hawkins was a principal in a sex trafficking operation that exploited over 20 victims, including juveniles. Judge Rambo noted the seriousness of the criminal conduct when imposing his sentence. Four co-defendants in the conspiracy were previously convicted of engaging in the same conspiracy that began in Harrisburg in the fall of 2015 and continued until it was dismantled in August 2016:

• Miguel Arnold, age 33, of Harrisburg, was the leader of the group and was convicted of conspiracy to commit and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana; possession with intent to distribute heroin, and was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment. The judge noted Arnold’s leadership and the violence he used in the scheme as reasons for the sentence;
• Tevin Bynoe, age 27, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment;
• Joshua Guity-Nunez, age 31, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment; and
• Emonie Murphy, age 23, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. 

As a part of their scheme, they rented hotel rooms and posted “escort” advertisements and photographs on backpage.com, a website that the FBI has since seized and is no longer operational.  The traffickers would frequently solicit women to engage in prostitution by lying to them about the services that they would be expected to perform.  They would also target victims who were vulnerable by virtue of their age, financial insecurity, or drug addiction.  At least three victims of the conspiracy were minors, one as young as 14 years old.  They would take the majority of the money made during the course of the prostitution business, and distribute drugs to the women, including heroin. They coerced the sex trafficking victims through fraud, physical abuse, deprivation of heroin to addicted victims, and threats of violence.

The FBI coordinated the investigation and was aided by law enforcement agencies in the Harrisburg area.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Wesley Mark Smith, age 53, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary – Allenwood, White Deer, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 20, 2020, to 120 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for a prison assault resulting in serious bodily injury.  

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Smith was convicted after a five-day trial in March 2020, for assaulting his cellmate by punching the victim about the face and head to the point of unconsciousness. After separating from the victim briefly at the direction of BOP staff, Smith reengaged by picking up a wheelchair located in the cell for the use of his cellmate and proceeding to bludgeon the face and chest of the prone and unconscious victim. The victim suffered severe injuries, including multiple facial fractures, intercranial subdural hemorrhage, brain herniation, complex nasal bone fractures, broken and missing teeth, and loss of a significant volume of blood.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd K. Hinkley and George Rocktashel prosecuted the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that two brothers, Daniel Gutman, age 38, and Benjamin Gutman, age 38, both of Maryland, were indicted on November 18, 2020, by a federal grand jury on multiple conspiracy, false statement and wire fraud charges.

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Daniel and Benjamin Gutman are the owners of Gutman Brothers, LTD, a Baltimore, Maryland based cattle export business with farms in New Holland, Pennsylvanian and Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.  They are charged in the indictment with conspiring with a veterinarian, Dr. Donald Yorlets, of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the buyers of their cattle in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and Qatar by submitting more than a thousand false bovine blood samples to a Harrisburg laboratory for bovine disease testing between November 2016 and February 2020.

The indictment alleges that Daniel and Benjamin Gutman and Dr. Yorlets routinely substituted the blood from cattle they knew to be disease free for the blood of larger numbers of untested animals in order to obtain the required Certificates of Health Inspection for all the animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires cattle who are transported in interstate and international commerce to be tested for various bovine diseases, including Bovine Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Bovine Leucosis, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea.  Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis are communicable diseases that can be transmitted to humans under certain circumstances. 

The indictment also alleges that additional Unique Antibody Profile testing of some of the Gutman Brothers blood samples by a U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory in Ames, Iowa, confirmed that only 122 of 1,069 samples were genuine.

While other bovine diseases are tested for by conducting a laboratory blood test, Bovine Tuberculosis is tested for by what is known as a Caudal Fold skin test. The indictment further alleges that Daniel and Benjamin Gutman did not conduct the skin test on a large number of animals but falsely represented to the government that they did. 

Dr. Yorlets pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor in August 2020. He is currently awaiting sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Wilson.  No date has yet been scheduled for the sentencing.

The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of the proceeds from many of Daniel and Benjamin Gutman’s sales to buyers in Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico and Qatar, an amount that exceeds $7 million dollars.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Douglas Daniel and Ravi Sharma are prosecuting the case.                               

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the charge of conspiracy is 5 years of imprisonment; the charge of wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment for each count; and the charge of false statements is 5 years of imprisonment for each count, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tengteng Wan, age 42, of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on November 18, 2020, by a federal grand jury on visa fraud and false statement charges.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Tengteng Wan allegedly applied for an H-4 nonimmigrant visa in April 2015.  At that time, H-4 visa holders were not eligible for employment in the United States.  Wan allegedly stated in his visa application that he was “not employed.”  At the time, however, Wan allegedly owned and operated one or more businesses.  Wan’s alleged statement that he was “not employed” constituted visa fraud and a false statement under penalty of perjury. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offenses; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for an offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Taashaun Mansfield, age 22, Johnny Quinones, age 27, Michael Windham, age 20, and Antonio Godbolt, age 34, all of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted on November 4, 2020, by a federal grand jury on firearms charges.  The case was unsealed following the arrest of the defendants.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Mansfield, Quinones, Windham, and Godbolt engaged in a conspiracy between July 2020 and August 2020, where Mansfield purchased firearms by falsifying records that he was the true purchaser of such firearm.  It is further alleged that after false statements were made to federally licensed firearms dealers, the guns were then transferred to convicted felons, Quinones and Godbolt, or those with charges pending, Windham. 

“At this precise moment of increased gun violence in the city of Harrisburg, our strong partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement have never been more important,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “Collectively, we will not waver from our mission of taking illegal guns off the streets and prosecuting those who involved in their purchase and trafficking.”

“ATF has a zero-tolerance policy for straw purchasers who acquire firearms from a federal firearms licensee for someone who is either ineligible to purchase a firearm or wishes to conceal his/her identity,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division.  “ATF remains committed to removing those offenders who put these guns in the hands of criminals. We will continue to work with our partners at all levels to make our communities safer.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws.  Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Bryan Snow, age 28, of Manchester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 12, 2020 to 15 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by fifteen years of supervised release, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones III, for producing child pornography and impersonating a Deputy U.S. Marshal.  

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Snow previously admitted that from January 2017 through February 2018, he impersonated a Deputy U.S. Marshal and claimed he was recruiting and training new employees for the U.S. Marshals Service.  Snow further admitted that in connection with those efforts, he enticed a minor to produce a sexually explicit image in February 2018.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Northern York County Regional Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 10, 2020, Jennifer Annette Bush, age 45, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for drug trafficking offenses.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, during March 2018 and again during February 2019, Bush possessed with the intent to distribute several different illicit substances, including cocaine, heroin and synthetic opioid and fentanyl.  After her initial March 2018 arrest by state authorities, Bush returned to drug trafficking in February 2019, prompting the initiation of the instant federal case.        

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dory L. Sater, age 46, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, was convicted on November 10, 2020, following a jury trial, of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft offenses.  The six-day trial was held before United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani in Scranton.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the jury returned the guilty verdict on both counts in the indictment after approximately one hour of deliberation.  Sater was convicted of one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The evidence presented at trial showed that in August 2017, Sater forged a mortgage satisfaction piece and filed the instrument with the Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds Office.  The forged document erased a mortgage held by Fidelity Deposit & Discount Bank on the Mountaintop, Pennsylvania residence of Sater’s parents.  The mortgage had served as collateral for a $50,000 line of credit that Sater had withdrawn in its entirety.  Evidence at trial established that Sater’s parents were considering selling their residence while the forged satisfaction piece was recorded.  In the process of forging the mortgage satisfaction piece, Sater also forged the signatures of a Fidelity bank officer and of a public notary, whose notary stamp he stole to use on the forged document. Sater was a personal injury attorney in Delaware County, who ran The Sater Law Firm LLC.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and James Buchanan are prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the bank fraud offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory, consecutive two-year term of imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 5, 2020, Olvin Manuel Ventura-Rivera, age 21, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for attempted distribution of cocaine.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Ventura-Rivera pled guilty to attempted possession with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride  on September 23, 2019, in York, Pennsylvania. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

# # #

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonathan Brownlee, age 42, of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on November 5, 2020, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for possessing child pornography.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Brownlee previously pleaded guilty to using cell phones and laptop computers to access images and videos of child pornography. Brownlee committed the offense between August 2017 and April 2018, in Monroe County. Brownlee committed the offense after having previously been convicted of receiving and distributing child pornography in 2012.

Judge Mannion also ordered Brownlee to serve 10 years on supervised release following his prison sentence, undergo sex offender treatment, and to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Nava K. Nawaz, M.D. of Mechanicsburg, PA has agreed to pay the United States $850,000 to resolve allegations that she submitted fraudulent travel claims to the Medicare program.  As part of the settlement, Dr. Nawaz has also agreed not to seek or be an owner or operator of a laboratory for the next 18-months. 

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Dr. Nawaz used her laboratory company Perll Diagnostics, Inc. to defraud Medicare by submitting over 23,000 false and inflated travel reimbursement claims for specimen collection and testing between 2014 and 2017.  In doing so, the government contends that Dr. Nawaz misrepresented the distances traveled by Perll’s lab technicians and wrongly obtained taxpayer dollars for travel that never occurred.   

“Our office has zero tolerance for those who invent or inflate Medicare reimbursement claims,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “We will continue to use all available tools, including the civil remedies of the False Claims Act, to protect our seniors and safeguard the Medicare Trust Fund.”

“Incorrect billing of taxpayer-funded health care programs, such as Medicare, diverts funding from the necessary treatment and care beneficiaries need,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify fraudulent activities and protect funding for our government health care programs.”

The settlement agreement is neither an admission of liability by Dr. Nawaz nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.

This matter was investigated and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Dalke and D. Brian Simpson, with assistance from the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

# # #

SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 4, 2020, Quintin Kinchen, age 37, of Marienville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for using the United States Mail and Postal Service to send threatening communications.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, on or about March 15, 2019, and again on or about April 2, 2019, while serving a prior prison sentence for a 2016 aggravated assault conviction, Kinchen sent two threatening letters to his victim, the former Lackawanna County Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted him for the aforementioned 2016 aggravated assault offense.  In these letters, Kinchen threatened serious physical violence against both the victim and her family.        

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 4, 2020, Jory Rhodes, age 32, formerly of Ashtabula County, Ohio, was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury to an inmate.  

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Rhodes previously admitted that while a prisoner at the United States Penitentiary Canaan, Waymart, Pennsylvania, on November 1, 2017, he and an accomplice attacked a third inmate by punching and kicking the victim about the head and chest.  The victim suffered severe injuries, including right orbital deformity, a broken nose, broken left jaw and cheek, and a skull fracture. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edward Weidow, Sr., age 67, of Scranton, Pennsylvania was sentenced on October 29, 2020, to serve two years’ probation followed by 100 hours of community service by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for making false statements to federal law enforcement officers. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Weidow pled guilty to making false statements to federal investigators in a public corruption investigation involving former Mayor of Scranton, William Courtright.  Weidow took cash from vendors and then transferred the cash to former Mayor of Scranton William Courtright. When Weidow was interviewed on January 9, 2019 by the FBI, he denied giving cash to Courtright, when in fact on numerous occasions, he had done so.

On October 2, 2020, Courtright was sentenced to seven years’ incarceration after pleading guilty to multiple public corruption crimes.  Courtright was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons to begin his sentence on October 30, 2020.  

Courtright’s corrupt activities came to light during a multi-year undercover investigation headed by the FBI.  The undercover investigation revealed that the former mayor accepted cash payments from vendors doing business with the city in a pay-to-play scheme.            

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.

# # #

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gimy Rodriguez, a/k/a “Carvo,” age 28, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 29, 2020, to 262 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, for drug trafficking.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Rodriguez pled guilty in September 2019, to engaging in a conspiracy and other charges involving the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine throughout Luzerne County.  Rodriguez was the leader of multiple co-conspirators and maintained hubs of operation in both Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre. 

Rodriguez’s co-conspirators were sentenced to:

• Andrew J. Danko was sentenced to 68 months’ imprisonment;
• Angela Haggerty was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment; and
• Hector Delacruz was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the DEA and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David D. Klepadlo, age 65, of Clark Summit, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 28, 2020, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to three years of supervised release, including one year of home detention, for violation of the Clean Water Act and tampering with a government witness.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Klepadlo pled guilty to falsifying required Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) documents over a period of several years.  Klepadlo also pleaded guilty to tampering with a government witness at the onset of the criminal investigation by encouraging that witness to either not cooperate at all or lie to the FBI. 

David D. Klepadlo & Associates, Inc. (Klepadlo’s company) also pled guilty to falsifying PADEP and EPA docs and was sentenced to five years of probation and a $10,000 fine.

Klepadlo was certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a waste water treatment plant operator.  Klepadlo and his company contracted with local municipalities to operate and manage the municipalities’ waste water treatment plants in accordance with regulations and limitations in permits issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). 

The permits required that the permittee at all times maintain in good working order, and properly operate all facilities and systems installed and used to achieve compliance with the terms and conditions of the permits.  For approximately two years, beginning in May 2012 and continuing through June 2014, Klepadlo and his company failed to properly operate and maintain the facilities (Greenfield Township Sewer Authority, Lackawanna County, and the Benton/Nicholson Sewer Authority, both Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties) and systems of treatment and control, in accordance with terms and conditions of the permits. 

Klepadlo knowingly failed to take daily and weekly samples and measurements required for the purpose of monitoring pollutants discharged into waterways of the United States; knowingly created false test results and falsely reported those results in discharge monitoring reports submitted monthly to the PADEP and the EPA. Klepadlo also admitted to attempting to persuade a government witness to fabricate a false explanation for the Clean Water Act violations for the purpose of influencing testimony of a witness in an official proceeding involving the testing and registering requirements of the permits.

Waste water from the Greenfield publicly-owned treatment plan is discharged into a tributary of Dundaff Creek, which flows into Tunkhannock Creek, which flows into the Susquehanna River.  Waste water from the Benton/Nicholson facility flows into a tributary of South Branch Tunkhannock Creek, which also flows into the Susquehanna River. 

The charges were the result of a jointly conducted investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.  Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski and Special Assistant Martin Harrell prosecuted the case.    

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WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Raymond Howard, age 45, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted on October 26, 2020, after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, on drug trafficking charges. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the jury deliberated approximately one hour and found that from October 2016 to July 2017, in Lycoming County, Howard engaged in a conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a mixture of heroin and carfentanil.

During a three-day period in June 2017, there was a rash of drug overdoses in Williamsport.  At the time, UPMC Susquehanna in Williamsport and Wellsboro reported treating 51 such cases within a 48-hour period.  

The trial team offered evidence that Howard and his coconspirators Wayne Davidson, Markeese Askew, and Nathan Crowder used cell phones to arrange for the distribution of heroin and, specifically, a mixture of heroin and carfentanil that resulted in number of overdoses from June 28 through July 7, 2020.  According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.  Howard’s three coconspirators Davidson, Askew, and Crowder all pleaded guilty earlier in October and face minimum sentences of 11 years’ imprisonment.  In total, Howard and the three coconspirators were charged with delivering a mixture of heroin and carfentanil that resulted in serious bodily injury to eight individuals.

The case was investigated by the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit, Montoursville Police Department, Old Lycoming Township Police Department, South Williamsport Police Department, Williamsport Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin and Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime. This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. 

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Howard faces 30 years to life imprisonment, a term of supervised release and a fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Karen E. Ramm, age 54, of Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 28, 2020, to one year plus one day imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release by Chief United States District Court Judge John E. Jones III, for her role in a bank fraud scheme. Chief Judge Jones also ordered Ramm to pay $102,500 in restitution ($21,668.31 to Commerce Bank and $80,831.69 paid to an insurance company). 

According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Ramm was a Branch Manager and Loan Officer of Commerce Bank (now known as First National Bank of Pennsylvania, successor to Metro Bank) between 2003 and 2010.  Ramm pled guilty to defrauding Commerce Bank by falsely causing a business loan to be extended based on the representation that the borrower, with whom Ramm was in a personal relationship, needed an extension for a business project, when Ramm knew that was not the case.  The total net loss was $102,500.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the financial institution’s security and investigations staff.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.

# # #

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Morgan Herrera, age 29, of Robesonia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 29, 2020 to six months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release (which includes six months of home detention) by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for embezzling over $80,000 from S&T Bank.  Judge Rambo also ordered Herrera to pay $80,011 in restitution. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, between February 2016 and June 2017, while Herrera was employed as a personal banker at an S&T Bank location in Harrisburg, she stole over $80,000 while opening multiple accounts for certificates of deposit.    

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.

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SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shaquane Scott, age 31, of Frackville, Schuylkill County, pleaded guilty on October 27, 2020, before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Karoline Mehalchick, for distribution of methamphetamine.        

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Scott admitted to distributing between 50 and 150 grams of highly-pure crystal methamphetamine in the Schuylkill County area over a several-week period in February and March 2019.  Scott’s girlfriend, Samantha Blume, age 28, of Frackville, was also indicted in September 2019 for methamphetamine trafficking.  Blume’s charges are still pending.

Magistrate Judge Mehalchick ordered that a presentence report be completed.  Sentencing will be scheduled before United States District Court Judge Malachy Mannion at a later date.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce crime.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum sentence under federal law is up to 40 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs.  For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Faizal Bhimani, age 43, and Nazim Hassam, age 64, both of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, Om Sri Sai, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, and the Pocono Plaza Inn hotel, formerly known as the Quality Inn, located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania were convicted on October 23, 2020, of sex trafficking and drug trafficking charges after a two-week jury trial.

This is the first time a hotel, a hotel owner, or a hotel general manager have been convicted of criminal sex trafficking offenses for aiding others to engage in that activity in Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Om Sri Sai, Inc., a company that owned and operated a Howard Johnson hotel located in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, and Faizal Bhimani, the general manager of that hotel, were both convicted of aiding and abetting sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking conspiracy, as well as drug trafficking conspiracy and managing a drug-related premises.  The jury also found the Pocono Plaza Inn guilty of Managing a Drug-Related Premises, and Nazim Hassam, part-owner and Vice President of Om Sri Sai and managing shareholder of both hotels, guilty of drug trafficking conspiracy and two counts of managing a drug-related premises.         

The jury further found that all property owned by Om Sri Sai, Inc. was property that facilitated the company’s sex trafficking and drug trafficking crimes, and is therefore subject to criminal forfeiture.

These convictions mark the culmination of a six-year, joint investigation into sex trafficking, drug trafficking, and violent crime in Monroe County by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  This case began in 2014 with an FBI investigation into the “Black P Stone” gang, a set of the “Bloods” that was responsible for gun violence and drug trafficking in Monroe County at the time.  Local agencies, including the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, joined the effort early on, and eventually expanded beyond the “P Stones” to uncover more widespread sex and drug trafficking in Monroe County. 

The evidence at trial, presented through more than 35 witnesses and over 150 exhibits, established that the Howard Johnson Hotel in Bartonsville was a safe haven for criminal activity between 2011 and 2019.  Bhimani, as manager, made rooms available for sex traffickers and drug dealers, and at times took payment for the hotel directly from the proceeds of criminal activity.  Bhimani also traded discounted and free rooms for sex, which traffickers would direct their victims to provide.  Dozens of women were compelled by multiple traffickers, sometimes called pimps, to conduct prostitution in the hotel either by physical force, threats, false promises, or coercion, including through blackmail and drug addiction.  Women who were addicted to heroin, crack, or other controlled substances were provided with just enough drugs to keep them working, and pimps used their addictions and the threat of withdrawal to control them.  Several admitted sex traffickers testified at the trial, explaining how they used these various methods to compel women to sell sex and turn over all of the proceeds.  Multiple survivors also testified that they were required to follow the traffickers’ rules, were forced to rely entirely on the traffickers for food, clothing, even hygiene products, and they were often punished for violations with violence, including sexual assault.        

The evidence showed that Bhimani was closely associated with several of these traffickers, and knew of the methods used to compel the victims to have sex for money.  Other employees at the hotel knew as well, and the evidence showed that at least two other employees engaged in sex with victims, including Hassam.  Bhimani also warned sex traffickers and drug dealers when law enforcement were present at the hotel, including during the manhunt for Eric Frein in 2014.  Several admitted sex traffickers and drug dealers testified to successfully evading detection by police thanks to warnings from Bhimani.  The hotel allowed known criminals to check in under assumed names or even street names, and Bhimani and Hassam both took steps to obstruct police efforts to locate suspects.

Evidence at trial also showed that the Pocono Plaza Inn, known as Quality Inn before losing that franchise, was also riddled with drug activity.  Police officers testified to multiple overdoses, some resulting in deaths, as well as numerous drug seizures, undercover drug purchases, and arrests at each hotel over a period of several years.  The hotels were both known by SARPD officers as high drug crime areas.  Evidence showed that a bartender at the Pocono Plaza Inn sold cocaine and heroin right over the bar, and that when the manager was alerted to that fact by another employee and a patron’s online review, she did not fire the bartender or notify police.  In 2016, another employee who lived at the hotel was arrested for heroin trafficking the day after a woman died of an overdose in his room. 

In all, forty defendants have been convicted federally as a result of this investigation, many of whom trafficked women and drugs in the Bartonsville Howard Johnson and the Pocono Plaza Inn.  Other defendants have been charged and convicted in state courts.  The investigation has resulted in the dismantling of the “P Stones” as well as a second gang, the “Brick City Brims,” and the disruption of two more, the “Blood Stone Villains” and the “Bloodhound Brims.”  Investigators seized multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine, as well as quantities of fentanyl, cocaine base (“crack”), methamphetamine, marijuana, and MDMA (“molly”), and took at least 10 illegal firearms off the streets. 

Notable among the convictions in this investigation are:         

• Sirvonn Taylor, a/k/a “Black,” leader of the Black P Stones, sentenced to 20 years in prison for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Drug Trafficking;
• Fredrick Brown, a/k/a “G,” sentenced to 33 years in prison for Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion and Drug Trafficking;
• Jose Velazquez, a/k/a “Sev,” member of the Black P Stones, sentenced to 210 months in prison for Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion and Drug Trafficking;
• Nicolaus Harman, a/k/a “Clips,” member of the Black P Stones, sentenced to 190 months in prison for Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Hobbs Act Robbery, stemming from the robbery and shooting of a drug dealer on Easter Sunday, 2017;
• Thurman Stanley, a/k/a “Black,” sentenced to 188 months in prison for Drug Trafficking and Interstate Transportation for Purposes of Prostitution;
• Pablo Martinez, a/k/a “Clown,” a leader in the Brick City Brims, sentenced to 150 months in prison for Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, stemming from the robbery and shooting of a drug dealer during a high-speed pursuit in January 2016;
• Deshaun Lipscomb, member of the Brick City Brims, sentenced to 10 years in prison for Drug Trafficking and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;
• Evan Watkins, sentenced to 10 years in prison for Drug Trafficking of more than 100 grams of Heroin.

“This investigation is an outstanding example of how the Task Force model works as a force multiplier,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “When federal agencies like the FBI join with local law enforcement agencies, officers who know their local jurisdictions better than anyone, we can accomplish far more than either can do on their own.  My office and the federal agencies who fuel OCDETF are proud to stand side by side with our brothers and sisters in state and local law enforcement, and grateful for their invaluable efforts and insights that have made this six-year investigation a success.  This was a novel prosecution, and the first time a hotel or its manager or owner have been charged with and convicted of sex trafficking in Pennsylvania.  We hope this will serve as a warning to any other person or company in a position to facilitate or profit from forced prostitution: don’t.  Sex trafficking cases are among the most serious we prosecute, and we will bring to bear the full resources of the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who traffic women and girls, along with those who profit from it.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean A. Camoni and Jenny Roberts prosecuted the recent case against Bhimani and Hassam. Deputy Criminal Chief Fran Sempa prosecuted the earlier cases.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

# # #

HARRISBURG –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ivan Rempel, age 76, of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, was indicted on September 30, 2020, by a federal grand jury on one count of tax evasion and nine counts of failure to pay and account for employment taxes. 

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Rempel was the President and Chief Executive of a warehousing business in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, since the early 1990s and evaded payment of approximately $2.7 million to the IRS.  It is alleged that, from 1991 to 2017, Rempel habitually failed to pay to the IRS employment taxes that he withheld from his employees’ paychecks. Rempel also failed to file required forms with the IRS to account for the employment taxes. 

The IRS eventually took steps to collect the money from his business and personal bank accounts, when in 2017 they imposed levies on certain accounts.  But, when they tried to collect the money from his bank accounts, Rempel began hiding the money. He took payment from his customers and turned it into cashier checks. He deposited the cashier’s checks into other bank accounts and quickly made payroll, then balanced out his bank accounts so that the IRS had no money to collect. He also began moving money overseas to international bank accounts to avoid paying the employment taxes he was withholding from his employees paychecks.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Consiglio is prosecuting the case.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Francheska Quinones, age 28, formerly of Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2020, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamiAccording to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Quinones admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in Luzerne, Lackawanna and Schuylkill Counties between January 2017 and December 2018.   Quinones was one of five individuals indicted by a grand jury in December 2018 for methamphetamine trafficking in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Judge Mariani ordered that a presentence report be completed.  Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.      

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines

The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison under federal law. The maximum penalty for the charge is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $10,000,000 fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs.  For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

# # #

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 29, 2020, Courtney Murray, age 22, of Slingerlands, New York, and Rashaun Ferguson, age 26, of Flushing, New York, were indicted by a federal grand jury for passing counterfeit U.S. currency.  The indictment was unsealed following the arrests of the defendants.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Murray and Ferguson conspired to pass counterfeit currency between September 2019 and April 2020.  They also are charged with multiple counts of passing approximately $14,000 in counterfeited Federal Reserve Notes in the denomination of $20, in Luzerne and York Counties, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.    

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and various state and local police departments.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious offenses is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 20, 2020, Emmanuel Roman-Figueroa, age 38, of Hazleton, David Jusino Ramirez, age, 64, a New Jersey resident, and Julio Romero-Mancebo, age 28, also a resident of New Jersey, were indicted on October 20, 2020, for drug trafficking.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges Roman-Figueroa, Jusino Ramirez, and Romero-Mancebo with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl.

On October 8, 2020, law enforcement agents seized 130 kilograms of methamphetamine, and three kilograms of fentanyl, and $28,000 in cash ($371,000 in cash was seized on a previous occasion during the investigation) during a drug transaction involving the men in Luzerne County. The wholesale value of the drugs seized is approximately $2.5 million and the estimated street value is between $8 million to $10 million.

U.S. Attorney Freed lauded the work of DEA agents and their state and local partners in taking huge quantities of potentially deadly illegal drugs off the streets. “There can be no more clear evidence of the efforts of transnational drug trafficking organizations to establish a market for methamphetamine in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the United States than the seizure of this massive amount of drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Freed.  “Of course, the related seizure of a substantial amount of fentanyl is just as clear a reminder that we cannot let down our guard in the battle against opioids.  Time and time again, we have noted that the transportation networks that make the Keystone state a national leader in the logistics industry lend themselves also to the movement of massive amounts of contraband through our Commonwealth.  Thankfully our partners at the Pennsylvania State Police and the DEA clearly understand this dynamic and are on the job. It is impossible to calculate the number of lives saved by this outstanding investigation.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan A. Wilson stated that the October 8th seizure of drugs is the largest methamphetamine seizure on record for the DEA’s Philadelphia Division.

“This seizure of 300 pounds of methamphetamine clearly shows the prevalence of this highly addictive and extremely dangerous drug in the region” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “This seizure and arrests are the result of DEA’s partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Hazleton Police Department. The coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners undoubtedly saved countless lives across our region.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pennsylvania State Police, and Hazleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Camoni is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Each charge also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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