Matthew Morales, Drug Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2018

A Monroe County man has pleaded guilty to his role in a massive drug trafficking operation in the region. Matthew Morales, age 25, of Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania, admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute between 10 and 40 grams of heroin, which is equivalent to 400 to 1,600 individual doses of heroin, as well as between 28 and 112 grams of crack cocaine, in the Monroe County area between May and July 2015.

Morales was one of eleven individuals indicted by a grand jury in July 2015, and charged with conspiring to distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monroe County area. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Morales admitted to participating in the conspiracy. Morales was one of eleven individuals indicted by a grand jury in July 2015, and charged with conspiring to distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monroe County area.

The case is 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 charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances 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.

Matthew Morales, a 25-year-old man from Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. Morales was one of eleven individuals indicted by a grand jury in July 2015, and charged with conspiring to distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine in the Monroe County area.

United States Attorney David J. Freed stated that Morales admitted to participating in the conspiracy. A presentence report will be completed, and sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/monroe-county-man-pleads-guilty-drug-trafficking