Laurence Cadogan, Heroin Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2017

SCRANTON—A Monroe County man has been indicted on heroin trafficking and gun charges, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Laurence Cadogan, 32, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 7, 2017, by a federal grand jury on heroin trafficking and gun charges.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that Cadogan possessed with intent to distribute heroin and unlawfully possessed firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes allegedly occurred on October 26, 2016, in Tannersville.

Police and agents seized more than 3,000 bags of heroin and two firearms, a Ruger .380 caliber handgun and a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, during the investigation. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of the two firearms.

The charges against Cadogan resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the cases.

This case was brought as part of a district-wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, 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.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the gun offense is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. That charge also carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law for the drug offense is 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Related Federal Cases