SCRANTON, PA — The grim reaper of the streets, Jamell R. O’Neal, 42, from East Meadow, New York, was meted out a sentence of over fifteen years in federal prison for his handiwork as a drug kingpin. On August 22, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that O’Neal had been sentenced to 188 months by Judge Julia K. Munley after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, along with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The authorities were relentless in their pursuit, starting from September 2023 when they received intel about O’Neal’s illegal drug trafficking operations in Wilkes-Barre. Their surveillance led them to observe O’Neal and an accomplice swapping drugs on the perilous streets. Three transactions culminated in a February 7, 2024, search warrant execution that resulted in O’Neal’s capture and the recovery of a substantial amount of crack cocaine, fentanyl, crystal meth, and a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. Since May 26, 2021, PSN has been a beacon of hope for safer neighborhoods through fostering trust in communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, and strategic law enforcement actions.
The Luzerne County Drug Task Force and the DEA were instrumental in investigating this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted with fervor. Now, O’Neal faces his fate, a sentence that reflects the severity of his crime and the commitment to justice in the region.
With a new chapter closing on this criminal saga, the people of Pennsylvania can breathe easier knowing their streets are safer thanks to dedicated law enforcement officers who stood vigilant against the tide of drug trafficking.
Related Federal Cases
- Drug Kingpin ‘Nostradamus’ Gets Over 17 Years for Cocaine Smuggling · New York
- Erie Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty to Narcotics, Firearms, and Money Laundering · Pennsylvania
- NY Trafficker O’Neal Gets 15+ Years for PA Drug Ring · Pennsylvania
- Chapo Castro-Aguirre’s Drug Ring Busted in Indiana · New York
- Stroudsburg Predator: Stanley Pleads Guilty to Sex & Drug Trafficking · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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