Dexter Yard, Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2021

SCRANTON – In a shocking turn of events, Dexter Yard, a 36-year-old resident of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and cocaine. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the plea on March 8, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Yard admitted to distributing fentanyl and cocaine on August 17, 2021, to another individual in Luzerne County. The charge stems from an incident in which members of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police made a purchase of fentanyl and cocaine from Yard, and then arrested him. A search of the vehicle Yard was driving resulted in the seizure of a fully loaded .38 caliber handgun, drug paraphernalia, and the money police used to purchase the drugs from Yard.

The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting 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. 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.

Under federal law, Yard faces a maximum sentence of twenty years, a term of supervised release, and a fine. 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.

Yard, who was driving a vehicle at the time of his arrest, had a fully loaded .38 caliber handgun, drug paraphernalia, and the money police used to purchase the drugs from him seized. The investigation into Yard’s activities was conducted by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The case is part of a larger effort to reduce violent crime and gun violence in Luzerne County. The community is still reeling from the effects of Yard’s activities, and the guilty plea is seen as a significant step towards justice.

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