HARRISBURG, PA – A ruthless marijuana kingpin was convicted of running a massive trafficking operation that used guns and violence to protect a multi-million dollar empire built on mail-order marijuana.
Christopher Texidor, 36, of Harrisburg, PA, was found guilty following a six-day jury trial of trafficking over 2,200 pounds of marijuana and hiring gunmen to protect his illegal activities. Texidor’s scheme, which operated out of a used car lot on Paxton Street in Harrisburg, brought in tens of thousands of dollars in cash and hundreds of pounds of marijuana each month, with the majority of the marijuana shipped in through the U.S. Mail.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, between October 2018 and May 2020, Texidor and his codefendants used a sophisticated system of GPS tracking devices to keep track of their drugs and money. They also used guns, robbery, and kidnapping as tools to keep their operation running.
At the trial, the jury heard evidence of the violence Texidor and his codefendants used to try and stop a thief from stealing their marijuana. In late 2019, a thief began stealing their marijuana from parcels shipped to them. Texidor and his codefendants then hired gunmen to stop the thefts, who went after the suspected thief, shooting up a truck in Harrisburg, shooting into an occupied home in Susquehanna Township, and shooting into an occupied home in Steelton.
The jury convicted Texidor of conspiracy to traffic more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, use of a means in interstate communication to commit a crime of violence, and drug trafficking. Texidor’s codefendants, including William Kuduk, Jonathan Cobaugh, Justin Laboy, Jose Laboy, and Julio Arellano, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, and the Susquehanna Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Scott Ford prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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