SCRANTON – In a gritty blow against the drug trade, Luzerne County’s Lee Crawford, 62, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was handed a 144-month sentence by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute the deadly substance.
Crawford’s guilty plea, entered in June 2024, acknowledged his role in orchestrating the distribution of fentanyl across Luzerne County between July 2020 and February 2021. The sentence comes after investigators, including those from the Kingston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, executed a search warrant at Crawford’s residence. This raid yielded additional fentanyl, further confirming his involvement in the drug trade.
United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam emphasized that this case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and ensuring community safety. The program focuses on fostering trust, supporting violence prevention efforts, strategic enforcement, and measuring outcomes to create safer neighborhoods.
The investigation leading to Crawford’s conviction was a joint effort by the Kingston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara handled the prosecution.
With this sentence, Luzerne County takes another step in its ongoing battle against drug trafficking, underscoring the community’s commitment to eradicating the scourge of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs from its streets.
Related Federal Cases
- Laforte’s Empire Crumbles: Drug Kingpin Laid to Rest · Pennsylvania
- Blairsville Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy · Pennsylvania
- Detroit Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty in Heroin Distribution · Pennsylvania
- Johnstown Drug Kingpin Maurice Lindsay Indicted for Heroin Distribution · Pennsylvania
- Laforte’s Drug Ring Collapsed by Feds · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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