Daniel D. Wheeler, Distribution of Controlled Substances, Pennsylvania 2021

SCRANTON, PA – A New Jersey Man Charged with Distributing Fentanyl and Heroin Resulting in Death

A joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service has led to the arrest and charging of Daniel D. Wheeler, a/k/a “Danny Manhattan,” age 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey.

Wheeler was charged by a federal grand jury with drug distribution resulting in death and conspiring to do the same. The case was unsealed following Wheeler’s arrest on November 30, 2021.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Wheeler conspired to knowingly and intentionally distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and heroin, within the Middle District of Pennsylvania, resulting in the death of a person. The indictment further alleges that Wheeler aided and abetted by another, did distribute heroin and fentanyl on March 31, 2020, which led to the death of another.

The charges against Wheeler stem from a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of a district-wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. 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.

Wheeler faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under the federal statute for drug distribution resulting in death. The Judge will consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature 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.

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