Robert Birch, Heroin Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2019

SCRANTON—Robert Birch, age 46, of Allentown, has been sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Birch previously admitted to obtaining heroin from suppliers in New York and Allentown and distributing the drug in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Birch was responsible for distributing between 100 grams and 400 grams of heroin, which is approximately equivalent to between 4,000 and 16,000 retail bags of heroin.

Judge Caputo also ordered Birch to serve four years on supervised release following his prison sentence. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Allentown Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

This case is also 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.

Robert Birch, a 46-year-old man from Allentown, was sentenced on September 25, 2019, to 140 months’ imprisonment for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy that operated in Carbon and Lehigh Counties from December 2014 through September 2016.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat the heroin epidemic in Pennsylvania. The Heroin Initiative and Project Safe Neighborhoods are crucial in reducing violent crime and making our communities safer.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/allentown-man-sentenced-over-11-years-imprisonment-heroin-trafficking