SCRANTON, PA – Kevin Neysmith, 45, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, will spend the next 13 years and 4 months behind bars after being sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment for a brazen drug trafficking operation and accompanying firearm offenses. United States District Judge Julia K. Munley delivered the sentence, signaling a hard line against those flooding the streets with poison and wielding illegal weapons.
The bust went down September 9, 2022, in Moosic, PA, when members of the Lackawanna County Drug Task Force moved to intercept Neysmith during a fentanyl delivery. But Neysmith wasn’t going down easy. According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the dealer panicked, bolted from his still-moving vehicle, and led officers on a foot chase through a parking lot. His abandoned car didn’t stop, crashing into an unoccupied vehicle before he was cornered behind a dumpster.
The subsequent search revealed a veritable pharmacy of illicit substances. Task Force Officers seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin both from Neysmith himself and a hidden compartment within his vehicle. Adding to the danger, authorities also recovered an unregistered 9-millimeter Canik 55 Model TP9 semi-automatic pistol, complete with a tactical laser – a clear indication of Neysmith’s willingness to use violence to protect his operation.
This case isn’t being treated as an isolated incident. Federal authorities are framing Neysmith’s conviction as a key component of “Operation Take Back America,” a sweeping nationwide initiative designed to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and stem the tide of illegal immigration and drug flow. The operation leverages resources from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation was a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—Scranton Office, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, the dedicated members of the Lackawanna County Drug Task Force, and the Moosic Borough Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson skillfully prosecuted the case, securing the lengthy sentence that will keep Neysmith off the streets for over a decade.
Neysmith, also known as Kevin Blackwood, now faces a long stretch to contemplate his choices. This conviction sends a clear message: those who profit from the misery of others and endanger our communities with drugs and firearms will be met with the full force of the law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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