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Allentown Business Owner Gets 8 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking
A local business owner turned his barbershop into a hotbed of crime, distributing massive amounts of fentanyl to the streets of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Brian David Cortes, 36, a/k/a “Bambi”, was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison, and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for the distribution of the dangerous narcotic fentanyl on March 29, 2024.
The charges stemmed from a 2021 investigation into drug-trafficking activities occurring at Cortes’ barbershop on Tilghman Street and his garage on North 4th Street, both in Allentown. Law enforcement conducted multiple controlled buys of fentanyl from Cortes and other individuals during the investigation and in June 2021 executed numerous search warrants at residences and the two businesses, leading to the seizure of over 1,000 grams of fentanyl and $100,000.
“Fentanyl is one of the deadliest narcotics flooding the streets of our country, and this defendant made sure there was a steady supply of it right here in eastern Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. “Cortes operated two successful, legitimate businesses, but that wasn’t enough. So he let his greed corrupt those enterprises, turning them into drug trafficking locations. Our Office is doing everything it can to uncover and disrupt these dangerous operations.”
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Allentown Residence Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles J. Volkert, Jr.
A 36-year-old Allentown man has been sentenced to over eight years in prison for fentanyl trafficking, and five years of supervised release for his crimes in Eastern Pennsylvania.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Cortes’ actions were a threat to the community, and that his greed led him to turn his legitimate businesses into drug trafficking locations.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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