California Man Sentenced To 18 Years’ Imprisonment For Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Trafficking

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bryce Stanger, age 35, of San Yisidro, California, was sentenced on September 22, 2023, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 18 years’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bryce Stanger and his wife, Tanya Stanger, age 33, also of San Yisidro, California, previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl.  The charge stems from an incident on August 25, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Union County.  Bryce and Tanya Stanger were the occupants of the vehicle.  A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately thirty pounds of high-quality crystal methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl.  Further investigation revealed that the defendants were transporting the drugs from California to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, for further distribution.

On September 21, 2023, Tanya Stanger was also sentenced by Chief Judge Brann to 18 years’ imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Street Task Force. 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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