Leader Of Scranton Drug Ring Sentenced To 8 Years In Prison For Heroin And Cocaine Trafficking

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on September 27, 2017, United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Jeffrey Guzman, age 26, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to 96 months’ imprisonment for being the head of a heroin and cocaine trafficking organization that operated from late 2015 until April 2016. 

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Guzman pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute in excess of 100 grams of heroin, 40 grams of crack cocaine, as well as additional amounts of fentanyl, cocaine base and marijuana.  This amount of controlled substances equates to more than 30,000 individual doses. Additionally, Guzman possessed two loaded firearms, a .380 semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm handgun, in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity. 

Guzman was indicted by a grand jury on April 12, 2016, and a superseding indictment was filed on October 25, 2016. Guzman pleaded guilty pursuant to a written plea agreement on May 26, 2017.

The federal investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre Police Departments, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.

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.

# # #