Mifflin County Man Charged With Drug Trafficking

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 30, 2020, Gerald McFadden, age 36, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking offenses.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment charges McFadden with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin between August 17, 2019 and October 17, 2019, in Mifflin County. The indictment also charges McFadden with 15 separate instances of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 28 grams of crack cocaine. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Mifflin County Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby 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.

Based upon the weight of the drugs involved in the alleged conspiracy, the maximum penalties that may be imposed upon conviction are 40 years’ imprisonment and a $5 million fine.  A sentence for these drug trafficking offenses also includes a period of supervised release following imprisonment.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is 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.

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.

# # #