Omar Vargas, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2024

SCRANTON – A Luzerne County man is going to prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking operation. Omar Vargas, age 32, of Drums, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to a term of two years’ imprisonment for trafficking methamphetamine.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vargas pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on August 21, 2023. The conviction was the result of an encounter between Vargas and law enforcement officers on January 4, 2021, when officers initiated a traffic stop of a car in which Vargas was a passenger.

Vargas fled from the scene and entered a third-party residence where he was arrested having been found hiding in the attic. Officers located a baggie containing approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine lying next to the front tire of one of the vehicles that Vargas ran between as he was attempting to flee.

This case was jointly investigated by the DEA in Scranton and the Hazleton (Pennsylvania) Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley 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 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.

The defendant, Omar Vargas, is now facing a significant period of incarceration for his role in this methamphetamine trafficking operation. This serves as a reminder of the consequences of engaging in such activities.

The community can expect to see a safer and more secure environment as a result of this sentencing, and law enforcement agencies will continue to work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.

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